If you’re anything like me, then you planned well for the coming busy-ness of September. And if you’re like me, then you are now feeling like life is whizzing by and you’re wondering what happened to your time, independence, and your well thought out plans for the season!
If this is you, we on the Wellness Team would like to turn your attention to a tool that’s been around for centuries and designed to bring peace and intentionality back to your day, and it’s called the Rule of Life. Let me start with a little personal testimony.
When I arrived in France in 2016, we were immediately confronted with teammates going through a personal crisis and a local church needing leadership. Within three months, my teammates left the field and I was thrust into the role of associate pastor. I took on the their role in addition to my own. After a few months of this, compounded with culture shock and transition, you might be able to imagine how stressed I was!
I ended up needing to go to the hospital for a surgical procedure, and it was at this point that I broke down and got in touch with an old mentor. He recommended a book called Emotionally Healthy Leadership, which would radically change the way I lead and made decisions. One of the tools I was introduced to through it was the Rule of Life. While I was recovering from surgery, I committed to using a Rule of Life and began to implement it. A few months later, the church leadership asked me to lead the young adults group through the church. We had so many university students that came through the church each semester. While I felt inside like I didn’t know if God was actually asking me to do that in addition to my other responsibilities, I felt guilty for turning down the elders. But then I consulted my Rule for the season. As I looked it over, I could tell everything on there God was still asking me to do. A I thought about adding the responsibility of leading the young adults group I wondered what thing I could give up from my Rule to make time for the young adults group. The answer quickly came… nothing. I couldn’t give up anything, and therefore God was in fact not asking me to take on this additional responsibility.
After I told the elders I would not take on the young adults group, I thought of two young leaders in the church who were in their 20s that seemed would be a good fit for the role. More than that, they blossomed in leadership through the responsibility, the young adults group took off way beyond what I could have done with it, and those two young leaders grew into mature christian leaders who continue to serve the Lord to this day. And all because I said “no” to adding another “good” thing to my schedule.
This is why a Rule of Life so valuable. It takes your life as it is, you as you are, and helps you make real and relevant decisions about your time and life commitments for the given season you’re in. It’s not aspirational, it’s real! It’s a helpful support structure that takes into account your uniqueness and your unique situation.
We’ll be rolling out a Rule of Life Workshop in January, so keep an eye out for that in the coming months, but if you’re interest is peeked, take a look at these resources below to learn more. I’ve also included a pdf that can be downloaded and worked through at your own pace. That said, I recommend working through it with a coach. Please reach out to any of us in Wellness (Amy, Brad, Joel, Julie) if you’d like to discuss how to begin implementing a Rule of Life in your life.
Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun
Being and Becoming: Pursuing Intentional Life Habits with God by Life Point Resources
When I had a coaching practice I built out a Rule of Life Course. Feel free to peruse this training pdf.
https://learninghub.gocommunitas.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Rule-of-Life-Online-Course.pdf
