Find your rhythms

“He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray.” (Proverbs 5:23 [ESV])

I was shocked the first time I read that passage. A lack of discipline leads to death? Really?

On second reading, I knew it to be true. The one who knows the truth and yet dies in his sin is the one who is led astray instead of fighting for godly discipline.

Especially on this journey of military deployment, this proverb in your Bible will prove especially true. In the context, this passage is referring to the specific sin of adultery and abandoning your marriage covenant (very appropriate in this season!), and yet, it is also more generally true of all sins that lead us to death.

As you get started into this deployment, it is important to establish the discipline of daily and weekly habits. Here are a few to get you started.

Daily Bible Reading and Prayer. One temptation you are facing in this season is the tyranny of the urgent. “There’s no time for the discipline of Bible reading and prayer!”

However, this is the time-tested practice of Christians for centuries, and you will be wise to fight for it. We take time out of our day to hear from God in His Word and speak to God through prayer. This season would be an excellent time to dive into my (much shorter!) writing journey, leading you into this practice of daily Bible reading and prayer.

Daily and Weekly Rhythms of Work and Rest. Whether you are the one who is deployed or the one who is manning the homefront, you need work and rest. For most of you, this season will provide ample opportunity to be led astray into the sin of workaholism and the sin of laziness. Finding the godly rhythms of work and rest will fight against these temptations. If this is a particular challenge for you, here are some ideas and resources to get you started.

Weekly Check-ins. The temptation to become a hermit crab and hole up in your little shell will also be ever-present during this season. Establish a rhythm of reaching out to a few people on your Spiritual Deployment Support Team to check in with them and them know how you are doing. More details on this idea are here.

My goal here is to provide three simple rhythms that all of us can regularly engage in and grow in throughout this deployment. If you are new to any of these, this may feel like a challenging time to start. There is an old adage that applies here: “The best day to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second-best day is today.” Start these life-long disciplines today!

I love you guys,

Brian O’Day

Did you Like this Article? Subscribe!