AUTUMN REMINDS US TO LET GO AND REFLECT ON NEW POSSIBILITIES!

The autumn changes of October bring us to reflection on what we need to let go of and what we need to embrace to be in a relationship with Jesus.

Now, maybe you’re thinking something like: “I already have a relationship with Jesus,” or “I believe in God and that Jesus is my Savior,” or “I go to church regularly, so I’m good.”

But….

What kind of relationship do you have with Jesus?

Is your belief evident in the way you live your life?

Going to church is great, but is it enough?

Here’s the thing: being a Christian who follows Jesus isn’t just about what beliefs you agree with or where you spend your Sunday morning. Having Jesus as your rabbi or Lord means following Him to learn what He does, learning from Him to know what to believe, and then allowing your life to be changed so that you speak, respond, do, and live like Him.

Believing in the Truth of Jesus + Following Jesus = a Life like Jesus

So….what needs to change in your life this autumn to live a Life like Jesus? Yeah…I know…a lot, right?

That’s where the DISCIPLINE comes in. Anyone can say they believe in Jesus…the demons and Satan believed in Jesus—we read that in the scriptures—but they certainly didn’t follow Him or live like Him.

So how do we live the whole equation rather than saying we believe in Jesus’ truth while our lives remain unchanged? DISCIPLINE.

DISCIPLINE is about the choices we make, it is about being intentional, it is about living each day as well as looking at the big picture of your life. That’s where having a Rule of Life comes in. The more we mature in our faith, the more we know we don’t know. We look back often wishing we had done better in living what we say we believe. A Rule of Life is a commitment to live your life in a particular way…it is crafted with care and prayer and discernment in partnership with God. It considers the way God made you and it changes with time as you change and grow in faith. It serves as a tool to help you make God-congruent decisions for your life and helps you order your days.

Rule of Life as a tool for Christians has been around since about the 3rd century A.D. originating with the Desert Fathers monastic community in Egypt. A well-known Rule of Life is that of St. Benedict, written to help his monks translate their faith into the habits and rhythms of daily life together. So, having a Rule of Life is not a new idea…it is, in fact, a very old idea that is starting to gain traction today as believers struggle to hold fast to a life of faith in a world that is increasingly hostile to that faith.

You might be wondering: “Why should I have a Rule of Life?” To which I would answer: “You already do…it just isn’t conscious or intentional.” You have habits, both good ones and bad ones, that already make up an unwritten Rule of Life. Stop and think about the things you do…your faith practices but also other habits that are part of your life. Truth be told, most of us (even those with spiritual practices like prayer, worship, scripture reading, etc. in place) are living our faith on the fly…taking it as it comes…responding to what’s next rather than intentionally shaping our decisions and daily rhythms to know, follow and live like Jesus.

Creating a Rule of Life takes thought and prayer and time…it helps to start small and live it for awhile, make adjustments and then add to it as time goes on. The first Rule of Life I did was a booklet of all my ideals for living the life I wanted to live to be more like Jesus….it was definitely more aspirational than practical, and most of it never happened. I learned that simple is better, so now I try to keep it simple like Jesus’ life was simple…and it is still a work in progress. I will say, though, that just praying and discerning what your Rule of Life should be is a worthy reflection….even if you keep changing it! It is not meant to be perfect…but liveable in a way that honors who God created you to be and honors Jesus.

If the idea of a Rule of Life sounds appealing to you, you may want to join us this month in the Spiritual Wellness Community (for women). As you can see below, we will be focusing on Discipline as applied to beginning to formulate a Rule of Life. When we meet tomorrow, we will be joined by Jean Wise, the author of the book, Creating a Rule of Life: A Manual for Dancing to Divine Rhythms. Jean is my Spiritual Director and she is a wonderfully wise pilgrim follower of Jesus!

Tomorrow will be a starting point to explore the idea, which we will continue learning about and pondering for the month of October….then in 2026 we will be reflecting on our baby steps from October 2025 as we dive deeper to work on our Rule of Life step by step, trying it out as we go, throughout the year.

It’s a good time to join if you want to make that journey in community with other faith-filled inspiring women. Remember, first month is free!!

Spiritual Wellness Community Membership group

Topic: Discipline

Book: Creating a Rule of Life by Jean Wise

Scripture: “…for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” —2 Timothy 1:7

MODIFIED SCHEDULE FOR OCTOBER (due to my anniversary cruise!) Each weekly Zoom is at 12:00pm ET with the recording posted within 24 hours if you can’t make it live!

Tues. Sept. 30 - Topic introductions with guest, Jean Wise, our book author

Tues. Oct. 7 - Group Spiritual Direction

Tues. Oct. 14 - OFF (cruise time!)

Tues. Oct. 21 - Prayer and Meditation with Harp

Tues. Oct. 28 - Discussion and sharing of our Rule of Life drafts

Yes, it will take some discipline and a lot of prayer and some trial-and-error application to your life….but it’s autumn. Time to let go of some things that aren’t working and look for ways to deepen our faith and relationship with Jesus in a way that will transform our lives. Baby steps…one spiritual discipline at a time.

I can’t wait!

Shalom,

Julie Parsell