Rule of Life

What is a Rule of Life?

A Rule of Life is a set of practices and rhythms that guide everyday life and align with our deepest desires and God’s deepest transformation.

What it isn’t….

A list of rules to follow. Notice that ‘rule’ is singular and not plural. A Rule of Life is a way to live intentionally, whereby our daily schedule aligns with our deepest desires, values, and purposes in life. It’s not about helping you do stuff, but helping you become someone.

The end goal. A Rule of Life is a ‘means to an end’, but it isn’t itself the ‘end.’ When you allow a Rule of Life to become an end, you’ve arrived at legalism. But when you treat it as a means to an end, it becomes something that allows you to create space for the Spirit of God to work within you, creating within you the fruit that only He can bear.

Where Did it Come From?

A Rule of Life dates back to the monastic movement in 5th and 6th century Rome— a time when the church had stopped influencing the culture, and the culture had begun influencing the church. In response, a few radicals— who we call the Desert Fathers and Mothers—retreated to the desert to protect themselves from getting sucked into the hurry, busyness, noise, distraction, confusion, and chaos of the world around them, and to pursue a simple life of prayer and word. They crafted a way of living whereby intentional thought was given to each moment of their day, so that they could abide in and with Jesus, keep their lives oriented around him, and seek his deepest transformation. They called this way of living a Rule of Life.

Why Have a Rule of Life?

The word rule comes from the Latin word regula, which translates to “a straight piece of wood”. Regula is also the Latin word for trellis. A trellis is a structure you’ll find in a vineyard that’s used to support a vine so that it can grow and bear fruit. What a trellis is to a vine, a Rule of Life is to a follower of Jesus. Without a trellis, a vine has limited potential for growth, and in the same way, without a kind of structure in place to facilitate health and growth, the spiritual life of a believer cannot flourish.

It’s been said that “we achieve inner peace when our schedule is aligned with our values.” While these aren’t words from Jesus, the prophets, or the apostles, they certainly point us to the heart of a Rule of Life—to create time and space for the Spirit to work in our lives, to experience His presence and his peace, to lead us into obedience to Christ’s command to love, and to yield fruit that only he can bear.

How do I Create a Rule of Life?

In order to help you create a Rule of Life, we have linked below a Rule of Life Builder that will generate a Rule of Life for you with suggested daily, weekly, and monthly practices. We encourage you to use the Rule of Life Builder below, however before you do that, there are a few things you should keep in mind:

  • If you have young children, start small and go easy on yourself. Remember that children can be your “monastic bells” to remind you that your time is not your own, and shape you into a person of love.

  • If a Rule of Life is new to you or you’re a new disciple of Jesus, start slow. As you fill out the Rule of Life Builder, we recommend only choosing 1 practice per question so that you don’t overwhelm yourself. As your Rule of Life becomes natural to your way of life, then build on it from there.

  • Don’t add more to your already busy life. Instead, before you add anything to your schedule, try to subtract something you can afford to subtract.

  • By upstream, we mean practices that may feel hard for you, but really move your soul toward growth. And by downstream, we mean those practices that you find fun, life giving, easy and joyful.

  • Don’t let your rule become rigid or boring. And never let it override the Spirit’s frequently unscheduled interruptions in our days. A good rule should feel like freedom, not slavery.

  • A Rule of Life re-orients your schedule, which means that you need to create yours in partnership with your spouse. Talk about what practices you can partake in together, and which practices you would like to do on your own.

  • This is more about discerning than deciding. What’s God’s vision for you? What invitations is He giving you to form habits that help you to be with Jesus and become like Jesus? We list some ideas to get you thinking. But they're just ideas, not a prescription.

  • Your rule of life is going to change as you progress on your spiritual formation journey and as your stage of life changes. This means that you should regularly be revisiting your Rule of Life to make sure it fits your current stage of life and spiritual journey.

  • Making a rule of life is one thing, living by it is another. You have a much better chance of succeeding with your rule of life if you’re accountable to someone with it. We encourage you to share your rule of life with your Life Group, a close friend, your partner, or anyone else who cares about your discipleship to Jesus.

Further Teaching on a Rule of Life