DEAR CHRISTIAN,
WE NEED TO have a godly routine as we roll out of bed in the morning lest we drift off into time wasting and sinful activities, which is easy to do. Because of remaining sin, our minds are easily distracted by “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16; Gal. 5:16). These are the fiery darts that Satan continually thrusts at the believer (Eph. 6:16). Many have fallen into the grip of the Wicked One by living undisciplined lives, lives that lack godly routines. The “clickbait” on your computer screen is an example of the ease by which we are distracted. It is much more difficult for Satan to distract us if we are on point with a daily godly routine.
THE LORD CREATED us to be orderly people. “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (1 Cor. 14:33). The English word “confusion” is translated from the Greek word “akatastasia”, which could be translated “disorder” as well as “confusion.” So, dear believer, let us strive to set our lives in order to the glory of God. As the Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 122 states, “What is the first petition?” “Hallowed be Your name;” that is, grant us, first, rightly to know You, and to sanctify, magnify, and praise You in all Your works, in which Your power, goodness, justice, mercy, and truth shine forth; and further, that we so order our whole life, our thoughts, words, and deeds, that Your Name may not be blasphemed, but honored and praised on our account.”
DID YOU NOTICE the words “order our whole life, our thoughts, words, and deeds”? It certainly takes godly discipline to order our thoughts, words, and deeds to God’s glory, which we are unable to do in this fallen world without the strength of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, let one of our daily godly routines be to call upon the Holy Spirit to fill us with His Word, presence, and power so that we might diligently run the faith race set before us by ordering our thoughts, words, and deeds to God’s glory.
LORD JESUS, strengthen us as the sheep of Your pasture to walk down paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake. Cause us to “so order our whole life, our thoughts, words, and deeds, that Your Name may not be blasphemed, but honored and praised on our account.” “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries” (1 Peter 4:1-3).
In Christ,
Pastor S. Henry
