The transition from summer to autumn can come with mixed feelings. If you’re like me, I’m torn between wanting the fun of warm summer nights, swimming at the lake, and enjoying concerts in the park to never end, and at the same I find myself longing for normal routines and the schedules that come with back-to-school and the Fall. While those routines bring consistency, they can also bring a busier pace of life that can make us feel exhausted before we even get started.
As we go into the fall, how can we bring the slower pace and light-heartedness of summer into our busier season? It begins with staying connected to the source of life.
Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message version) says:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (emphasis mine)
Imagine living freely and lightly as the verse above says. Doesn’t that sound lovely? Jesus says in this verse, the key is to walk with him and work with him, and to follow his example. As we do that, we will learn the unforced rhythms of his grace.
Even in Jesus’s busiest moments and days, He knew where the source of strength and life flowed from, so He made time to retreat with the Father. He relied on God to sustain him and empower his work throughout his days.
In order for us to stay connected to God and in the flow of what He’s doing in our lives and in the world, we need to have our own spiritual rhythms each day, each week, each month. When we abide in God throughout each of our days, even those busy seasons can feel less stressful, because we are connected to God’s strength, peace, and love.
Spiritual rhythms aren’t just about checking the boxes to make sure you pray, read your Bible, and go to church. It’s about creating a way of life (those unforced rhythms of grace) that helps keep you growing toward who God is transforming you to be. It looks like thriving in your relationship with family and friends, having bandwidth to intentionally steward your talents at work, and flourishing in your health physically, spiritually and financially.
God cares about every area of our lives, so as we connect with Him through prayer, reading our Bible, and spending time in worship, we will have eyes to see how He wants us to interact with our spouse, kids, friends, and co-workers. These spiritual rhythms can become the framework that we build our lives around, keeping us connected to the Father and sustaining us in every area of life.
Being intentional about having a balance of work and rest, loving our spouse and kids well, enjoying our hobbies, and prioritizing community, while they may not seem spiritual, they can be when we are seeking to find God in them. We can prayerfully nap, asking God to restore us. We can seek to prioritize God in our relationships by finding a time to pray together or read God’s word together, or even go on a date with your spouse. Prioritizing healthy relationships and being a healthy person is spiritual because it honors God and His ways.
So as you go into this new season, think about ways you can build some spiritual rhythms in your life that will help you stay focused on God and that will sustain you each and every day. I encourage you to start small and keep it simple and realistic, so you have room to grow.
For example, if you don’t currently have a bible reading or prayer rhythm, start with 5 min every day or 20 min once a week. Think through what would you most likely be able to sustain. Sometimes the easiest way to create a new rhythm is to stack it with something you are already doing, such as reading your Bible while eating breakfast.
As these rhythms grow, they will guide your behavior and character in such a way that it becomes more natural for you to live out your identity in Christ. Each rhythm can be life-giving when we are abiding and operating from a posture of dependence on God and intimacy with Him.
It is my prayer for you that as you go about your day today, that you will feel God’s strong and loving presence. As your calendar begins to fill up with all this new season brings, may you lean on the unforced rhythms of God’s grace to sustain you. May you know without a doubt how deeply you are loved by the God who created the universe and everything in it, the one who has rescued and redeemed you because you are His.
