Addict of Routine

             Routines: the habits, rituals, practices, procedures, protocols, and stereotypes that create the human life without human recognition or realization. Routines are actions, thoughts, words, and experiences that occur from dawn to dawn, dusk to dusk, that enrich, yet can also degrade, the humanity of life. With routines come conformity, consistency, predictability, certainty, reliability, dependability, constancy, and sure knowledge of what life is going to bring in the present and near-future moments. Humanity thrives on uniformity and steadiness in life. When uniformity is broken, the world crashes down, enveloping and crushing the stability that humans so desperately seek. Routine becomes a trademark of humanity, a brand of sorts, which is heavily relied on and sought. When this brand shatters, life is balanced purely on shaky ground. Surely we, as humans, are not addicted to the brand of routine…or are we?

                We desire predictability, constancy, and certainty in our daily walks of life. Have you ever thought about the things you do every single day, at the exact same time, in the exact same way? For instance, I must have a shower every morning. If I do not shower, the rest of my day is sour, my attitude is negative, and I feel very poorly about myself. I will do whatever it takes, even if it means getting up in the wee hours of the morning, to make sure I am able to shower before my day starts. Showering is a constant for me, a certainty that I hate to do without. Another example: I must make sure the environment in which I do school work is clean before any work is done. I organize everything, throw away trash, fold clothes, and do dishes before I can even think of doing work. This is a necessity for me, or else I cannot focus on the work I have to do. My life is a routine. I am an addict of routine.

Humans fear the unknown-this is purely our human nature. We are terrified of tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, and the next five years. Fear of uncertainty is one of the worst evils that thrive in our culture because it affects us so deeply. Instead of focusing on the present, we dwell in the unknowns of the future. Instead of thinking of what life is today, we look towards what life will be tomorrow. What is worse, is that we are shaken to the core when the things of today, and of the future, do not go as we planned. Our moods, attitudes, outlooks, and desires change as life changes around us. We are immersed in the present, yet we are deeply concerned and desperate for the future. These thoughts, feelings, and emotions of desperation stem from humans’ deep need for knowledge, certainty, and reliability in life. Is this not routine? In my life, it is a daily experience, a daily routine, for me to think about the future and how undoubtedly unsure and unstable I am about the ways in which the Lord is going to use this life He has given me. Uncertainty, doubt, and worry are routines! We cannot get away from them! Routine is a part of our innermost nature; it is embedded in our hearts and is a constant thought in our minds. We are surely addicted to the routines of life.

For the most part, the word “addiction” is associated with negative connotations. However, being addicted to routines of life is not always a negative thing. The Bible is God’s written word on how to live and immerse ourselves in daily routines that are righteous and pure in His eyes.  It is written to “never stop praying” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and to “keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters” (Hebrews 13:1). Both of these scriptures refer to constant experiences we should have on a daily basis. God says to “never stop praying” and “always love each other as brothers and sisters,” just as Christ would. Are these not commands that profess ways and routines that we should experience and live in life? Colossians 2:6-7 says, “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:6-7). These scriptures use language of routine: “never stop,” “always love,” “continue to follow,” “let your roots grow,” “let your lives be built,” “your faith will grow,” “you will overflow.” These routines of truth are life fulfilling and sustaining, not life degrading and destroying like most addictions.

As we examine our lives, we need to seek routines that are life fulfilling. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” The routines that brand our lives should not be of the world in which we live, but of the eternal and everlasting life of Jesus Christ. Through routines based in Christ, we will be transformed by His power and better understand the lives we have been given. The routines of Christ are lived in our daily walks, even in daily showers, consistent room cleanings, and thoughts of the future. If our belief is firm in the Lord than anything we do throughout every day is filled with His glory and purposeful in His peace and love. May our goal not be to break our addiction to the routine ways of life, but rather to enforce and allow our addictions of routine to be rooted in Christ and used for the furthering of His kingdom.