Establish order in your life
June 17 - June 21, 2024 | Always Peachy Devotionals | Habits Week 3
I’m not sure when chaos became something to aspire to.
It’s like our culture thrives on it. We expect it, and we pursue it, and if we don’t have it constantly keeping us stressed out, we don’t feel effective.
Isn’t it possible that the opposite is true? That the more chaos we have in our life, the less effective we actually are? It’s just that chaos breeds adrenaline and thrill, and there’s a certain challenge to living that way. That if you can tame the chaos to accomplish things, maybe you’re more in control of your life than you think.
But let’s face it. If we were truly in control of our lives, we wouldn’t have any chaos at all.
It’s not that living in chaos is a failure. Don’t get that idea. We all have some element of chaos in our lives because it’s natural. Ever since sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden, the universe has been slowly circling the drain, winding down. I don’t know a lot about physics, but I know the Laws of Thermodynamics—the first which states that any ordered system will tend toward chaos naturally unless some outside force puts it back in order. (Sorry, the nerd flag is flying this week!)
This is why cars rust. This is why food molds. This is why we age. Chaos and disorder are universal truths, which is also why evolutionary theory is impossible because order can never come from chaos. It’s only ever the other way around—unless you’re God, who brings order to chaos every second of every day.
So, if chaos is natural, how can we prevent chaos in our lives? How can we manage chaos in our lives? Well, Jesus-followers know the answer: The solution is supernatural.
God has never been about chaos. That’s not one of His defining characteristics. He is a God of order, and we can implement this quality of God in our own lives through wise choices and healthy boundaries. We can’t stop chaos. That’s outside of our ability. But we can manage it effectively so that we can live in a way that’s healthy—not out of control, not directed by addictions, and not characterized by constant exhaustion.
This week, we’re going to talk about how to establish order in our lives by setting habits that help us identify what really matters.
Jun 17 – Live quiet (1 Thessalonians 4:11)
Jun 18 – Make wise financial choices (Proverbs 13:11)
Jun 19 – Participate in community (1 Thessalonians 5:14)
Jun 20 – Delegate tasks to trusted people (Exodus 18:18-19)
Jun 21 – Make time for small tasks (1 Corinthians 14:40)
Obviously, chaos and disorder is something we will all have to deal with as long as we are here on earth. But the more chaos is in our lives, the less healthy we are in every way. Regardless if you’re talking about your physical health, your mental health, your emotional health, your financial health, or even your spiritual health—chaos only makes it all that much harder.
Don’t follow the culture and idolize busyness. Follow Jesus and embrace rest.
Getting through this life with any level of health in all the areas of our human experience requires wisdom, and the best place to find wisdom is in God’s Word. So I thought we should memorize a verse out of Proverbs this week, specifically Proverbs 24:3-4.
Proverbs is often called the Book of Wisdom, and it is fully loaded with extraordinary statements of faith that can change our lives if we let them. The best way to combat chaos in our lives is through God’s Wisdom. Wisdom does more for us than just inform our decisions; it provides us with peace and sustains us with confidence. Wisdom is more important in our lives than just about any other quality—well, except faith. But the more wisdom you gain, the greater your faith will be.
Funny how that works.
Praying for you all this week, that the normal levels of chaos you’ve used to define your productivity will no longer be your standards. Let’s let Jesus set our standard of performance instead.
Hugs!
Amy
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