ESCAPING THE ROUTINE RUT
As we head into the new year we might not be too excited. One reason is we anticipate that 2019 will not be too much different than 2018. Life is unpredictable yet for the most part many of us live our lives in a very predictable fashion. We perform the same routines without much variation. Get up, get ready, go to work, come home, do chores, cook dinner, do homework, read or watch some TV and go to bed. Get up the next day and do it all over again-wash, rinse, repeat.
Even Sundays can be predictable. Get up, go to church, listen to a boring sermon, go home, eat lunch, take a nap, watch football, go to bed. The only day that can have some real variation to it is our day off.
The weird thing is on one hand we don't mind routine; we like its predictability. We like to know what to expect; we don't like surprises. But on the other hand we loathe it; we're bored with our lives.
So what can we do? The simple answer is change up our routine. But that's a word that we don't like; even if it's for the good. Change involves unpredictability. It involves getting used to something new. But that doesn't have to be shunned; it can be embraced with enthusiasm.
1) Make your routine less routine.
You can have a routine day but not know what you'll experience along the way. Doctors, police officers and the like could easily say this. Many would say that's what they like about their jobs. They never know what will happen on any given day. That can be exciting but also a little scary.
But that might not be you. You may have a very predictable and boring job. But that doesn't mean you're doomed. Even if you have a routine day where you pretty much know what you'll be doing with little variation it doesn't have to be completely routine.
For instance, your work may be predictable but the conversations you have with those around you don't have to be. Instead of the routine small talk start a conversation about current events or some exciting topic. Maybe tell a funny joke or story.
Did anything out of the ordinary happen to you over the weekend? That can be what breaks the Monday morning monotony. Instead of answering the "so what did you do this week-end" with "nothing special; same old-same old", you can tell them what you did; even if it seems ordinary.
Maybe it's the movie you went to see. Maybe it's the new book you're reading. Maybe it's the thought-provoking sermon you heard on Sunday. Your work may be routine but your conversations don't have to be.
Speaking of Sunday, there are some Sunday routines that don't have to be routine. One of those things is communion. We do it every Sunday and it can become just a routine but it shouldn't. Yes, what we're focused on is somewhat routine-the sacrifice of Christ-but what can be talked about regarding that is anything but routine.
When I, Bobby or Jerry share a Lord's Supper meditation, we're not using the same illustrations; we're not always using the same verses. Even if they are the same verses the focus can be on a different part of the verse. It can be about remembering, the blood, giving thanks.
It can be about the crucifixion, Jesus' sacrifice during his ministry, his resurrection, our repentance, our salvation, our life. There are a lot of different things we can focus on during the routine Lord's Supper. The act is repetitive but the focus is not.
Some other Sunday routines that don't have to be are things like always sitting in the same seat or always talking to the same people. Change it up; break out of your comfort zone. Maybe change the time you typically come to church; come earlier. Change how long you typically stay afterwards and hang around for a little while longer. All in the name of fellowship and service.
What are the routine things in your life where you can insert some variation to make them anything but routine? A young soldier and his commanding officer got on a train together. They had done this numerous times and the young officer thought this was going to be just another boring, routine train ride. The only available seats were across from a young, attractive woman who was traveling with her grandmother. "Maybe this train ride won't be so routine after all," the soldier thought.
As they engaged in pleasant conversation, the soldier and the young woman kept eyeing one another; and the attraction was obviously mutual. Suddenly the train went into a tunnel and the car became pitch black. Immediately two sounds were heard: the “smack” of a kiss, and the “smack” of a slap across the face.
The grandmother thought, “I can’t believe he kissed my granddaughter, but I’m glad she slapped him for it.” The commanding officer thought, “I don’t blame the boy for kissing her, but it stinks that she missed his face and hit mine instead.” The young girl thought, “I’m glad he kissed me, but I wish my grandmother hadn’t slapped him for it.”
Confused yet? As the train broke into the sunlight, the soldier had a huge grin on his face. He had just seized the opportunity; the opportunity to kiss a pretty girl and the opportunity to slap his commanding officer! I'm not suggesting you seize this kind of opportunity, but if we want to change up our routine, taking advantage of opportunities is a good way to do it.
Eph. 5:15-16, "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." We can get discouraged over past opportunities that slipped away. But we can't reclaim the last opportunity we can only capture the next one. We need to be wise and careful how we conduct ourselves and look for opportunities to do good.
Paul repeated this in Col. 4:5 with how we act and talk with people; especially when it comes to sharing our faith. We should take advantage of every opportunity to share our faith or do good toward others. Looking for opportunities means we're looking to enhance our routine; we're looking to make a difference.
That's part of the problem with having a boring routine; we feel it's not accomplishing anything. We may not be able to change our routine but we can keep it from being routine. If we are going to escape the routine rut then we need to do something to make our routine less routine.
2) Escape routine mistakes.
Definition of insanity, 'doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results'. If nothing changes nothing changes. Sometimes we want things to change; we don't want to keep performing the same routine of errors. But the problem is although we want things to change we don't like what it takes to make the change.
Change involves effort and consistency. Deciding to change is a big deal, making the change is a bigger deal, but maintaining the change is the biggest deal. When we realize that we need to change, that's a big deal. but too often what we know we should do doesn't translate into action. So, making the change is a bigger deal. However, oftentimes we start out strong but lose steam soon afterward. Therefore, maintaining the change is the biggest deal.
Perhaps your wash, rinse and repeat cycle of this past year was try, fail, try again, fail again. But the reality is we don't really fail as long as we try again. Even though that's true, it doesn't make failing any easier to deal with. It's frustrating to try and fall short.
So what can I do to change that? One thing is to evaluate your process. How have you gone about doing what you set out to do? Maybe your lack of success is not so much you but your routine. Developing a new strategy may help you achieve success. Maybe you set the bar too high to begin with.
It's easier to reach small goals. You can still have that main goal but perhaps it's not a realistic one right now. Instead of getting discouraged that you're not reaching that big goal, determine what little goals you can set that will be stepping stones en route to achieving the main one.
One of the routine mistakes we can make is being stubborn. We're challenged to do something differently and we refuse. 'I like the way I do it so don't try to get me to change my routine'. Someone might be trying to show us how it can work better but we're too prideful and stubborn to investigate it. We're so committed to our own way of doing things we prevent ourselves from learning a better way.
Years ago most watches were Swiss made. They were mechanical, with gears moving to keep time. For several decades all watches were made this way. One day a man came up with a way to make them better. He invented the quartz watch. The movement was not with gears, the whole system operated much differently.
The man flew to Switzerland and tried to sell his quartz time piece to the Swiss companies. They all refused to consider this new idea. Watches have always had gears and were pretty accurate. So, the man flew to Japan, where there was no established norm in producing watches. Japan bought the idea.
Fast forward to today where most of our watches come from Japan. These quartz watches are many times more accurate and durable. Most of the Swiss companies that were around when this man pitched his new idea are now out of business.
Where would we be today if no one ever decided to change up the norm and build a better mouse trap? Although there are times when if it isn't broke we shouldn't try to fix it. But then there are times when it's okay to reinvent the wheel.
Can we be flexible if the situation calls for it? We need to evaluate the situation. What stands to be gained? What can potentially be lost? What are the pros vs. cons? Wisdom and discernment are good tools; stubbornness and pride are not.
Perhaps another routine mistake you've been making is resisting God. Whether it's routinely rejecting his call to salvation or routinely resisting his will and control in your life. Will you choose to escape that rut in 2019? Will the new year be the year you become a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17)? Will 2019 be the year you start to become transformed by the renewing of your mind (Rom. 12:2)?
When God routinely calls out to us but we routinely dismiss it we're not doing ourselves any favors. Jer. 11:7-8, "From the time I brought your forefathers up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again, saying, “Obey me.” But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.’ ”
This is a theme that gets repeated routinely throughout the book. In fact, Jeremiah said in 25:3, 'for 23 years the word of the Lord has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again but you have not listened'. 23 years is a long time to keep repeating yourself.
This shows God's patience. 2nd Peter 3:9 says that God is patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish but for everyone to come to repentance. When we keep making the same routine mistakes we will only get deeper and deeper in the rut. Routinely making the mistake of ignoring God's call will result in serious harm.
However, if we do decide to get out of our destructive rut and make some positive changes we need to be prepared that some people might not be ready for it; especially when it comes to changing for Jesus.
A man was going to work one morning when he was pulled over by a cop. He walked up to the man’s car and said, "Didn't you see the stop sign?" The man replied, "I've been traveling this road for 20 years and I've never stopped at that sign." "Oh, really", the trooper said, "well, I bet you will now", and handed him his ticket.
The next morning the same cop was called to investigate a wreck at the same stop sign. Much to his amazement, when he got to the first car, it was the same man he had given a ticket to the morning before. The trooper shook his head and said, "I can't believe I'm standing here looking at you after what happened yesterday."
"It's not my fault", he said. "I got hit from behind." The cop walked back to the second car. "Alright, what happened here?" "It's not my fault, I've been following this guy on my way to work for 20 years and he has never stopped at that sign before today."
He wasn't prepared for the other guy's positive change. Some people might not be ready for the positive changes we make. Don't let that stop you from making them. If we want to get out of our routine rut we need to stop making the same routine mistakes.
3) Embrace positive predictability.
Even though this sermon is about escaping the rut of routine that doesn't mean patterns are altogether bad. It's not always about changing your routine, sometimes it's just about making changes to your existing routine. However, with that said, we still need certain things in life to be predictable.
Predictability gives us peace of mind. We like to be able to depend on certain people to do what they've always done. If someone is predictably present at work every day or church every week that's good. If someone is predictably punctual that's a positive thing. Being routinely responsible or reliable is really important.
When someone doesn't have to be concerned whether or not you will be faithful or trustworthy it is a great comfort and assurance to them. When we have positive patterns in our lives we need to embrace that. In many ways God is predictable. Yes, God works in mysterious ways but that doesn't mean there isn't anything predictable about him.
God will meet all our needs (Phil. 4:19), he comforts us (2 Cor. 1:4), he will never leave or forsake us (Heb. 13:5), he is preparing a place for us in heaven (John 14:2). These are some of the predictable promises of God. But it shouldn't stop with God. Granted, people are not as reliable as God but if we are trying to be like him we will work on being more regular in our reliability.
Paul was happy for the routine help he received from the Philippians. Phil. 4:15-16, "Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need."
Paul was thankful that the church was repetitive in sending aid. Paul didn't have an unhealthy dependence on them to keep doing this; his dependence was on God and he learned the secret to contentment. But he is declaring his thankfulness for their routine help.
Cornerstone sends routine support to many different ministries. We have been routinely sending support to our missionary, Yawla, in Thailand for years. He is thankful that we have been dependable in sending this support time after time. That doesn't mean it will necessarily always be this way. Life is unpredictable and we can't know what the future holds.
We need to accept this fact of life but it's nice to have people in our lives who are dedicated in their routine willingness to help. We need to escape the unhealthy routines while embracing the positive ones that reflect the strength and character of God. How will you escape the routine rut so you can have a better 2019?
