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I have always considered myself as someone that wasn’t afraid of change—in fact, I often boasted that I embraced change.  I have gone so far as to repeat the joke, “a rut (routine) is just the same as a grave, except the ends are kicked out.”   Apparently, when it comes to my affinity for change, the only person I was fooling was me.  This disturbing fact was made clear to me a few years ago when my fitness center moved all it’s equipment to a newly remodeled space.

When I arrived for my Monday morning workout, nothing was where it had been on the previous Friday.  I was immediately unsettled, but reminded myself, “change is good, right?”  I searched until I found my favorite piece of exercise equipment, only to find that it wasn’t working.  I settled for a similar machine, only to discover that it didn’t have a great view of the television…which was not on my favorite channel…and that the sound wasn’t working.  Not to be deterred, I spent the next thirty minutes trying to read the captions and NOT fall off the machine.  Having achieved the appropriate level of fatigue and sweat, I headed to the newly installed water fountain…only to find that it was “out of order.”  Trying to remain positive, I decided that I would complete the rest of my “routine,” but inside, I was anything but positive…I was troubled.  At first, I was troubled that my “routine” had been disrupted—later, I was troubled that this disruption bothered me this way.

By the time I arrived home to shower and get ready for the day, I had a good chuckle at my own expense.  I had become comfortable in my routine and it caused me to wonder about other things that I might have allowed to become “routine” in my life as well.   My job?  My marriage?  My relationship with God?

If we are not careful, we can become so comfortable with our “routines” that we begin to take the important things in life (people, relationships, etc.) for granted.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV) says,

²² Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  ²³ They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

This verse should serve as an encouragement to us, that we shouldn’t ever allow our relationship with God to become routine.  His compassions (mercies) are new EVERY morning—which means there is something NEW and FRESH that we can experience every day in our relationship with Him.  I challenge you to keep things fresh and new in your life each day.

Let’s make each day count! 

Greg