June 13, 2025

Proverbs 4:23 says, Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. 

I met with a guy this week for coffee. He talked about a time in his life when he felt turned off by Christianity because of people in his life who talked and taught rigidly about the right Christian beliefs, morals, and rules but who didn’t live them out.

That is a common thing I hear from people. What does it mean, as the Proverb says, that everything we do flows from the heart?

“Everything” means everything. This can’t, then, mean just being obedient moral Christians. There are a lot of times in my day where I am not challenged to choose between an ethical moral decision or a sinful one. Most of my day feels much more… neutral. Your day is probably like mine. Often dispersed throughout my workday are times of conversation, relational interactions, media in-take, inner thoughts, leisure activities, and more. These things all feel quite neutral on the spiritual plane. But Proverbs tell us that there are no neutral thoughts, activities, in-takes, out-puts, or times of leisure. My entire physical, mental, and spiritual beingness requires that my heart be formed in such a way that everything that comes out of my life is shaped by Christ. 

This means we need to create rhythms in our lives that aim our hearts at Christ. We who desire to be apprentices of Jesus must spend time with him, become like him, in order that we may do as he did.

The aim of disciplines in the spiritual life - and specifically in the following of Christ - is the transformation of the total state of the soul. It is the renewal of the whole person, from the inside, involving differences in thought, feeling, and character. This journey of transformation through these practices will, by nature then, manifest in outward behavior. This is what Paul had in mind when he says, [You] have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. -Colossians 3:10

You may be wondering, so what does this mean for me? Choosing to be formed by Jesus is the path to full life and genuine transformation into his likeness. A powerful tool for pursuing this is to create a "Rule of Life." John Mark Comer in his book, Practicing the Way, gives a good definition for a Rule of Life is this: A schedule and set of practices and relational rhythms that create space for us to be with Jesus, become like him, and do as he did, as we live in alignment with our deepest desires. It's a way of intentionally organizing our lives around what matters most: God.

I don’t know if you’re like me, but I spent half of my adult life going to church, praying and reading my Bible (with brevity as my focus and inconsistency in reality), and attempting to align my behaviors with the right Christian doctrines and principals. That’s all good. What I wasn’t doing, however, was assessing my entire life… my rhythms throughout my day and how those practices intentionally drew me into Jesus’s presence to shape my life.

Rhythms are repeated, consistent patterns – like a heartbeat or a practice. This summer at White Oak during our weekend worship services we will be in a series entitled Rhythms. Our rhythms reflect the natural flow and cadence of a life in step with Jesus. Just as a rhythm brings structure and harmony to music, spiritual rhythms provide the steady beat that shapes our daily lives. As apprentices of Jesus, we aim to align with his rhythm, growing into his likeness and bearing the fruit of a life dedicated to his work.  

If we want to be transformed into a likeness of Jesus then we must be willing to rearrange our lives around the practices, rhythms, and truths that Jesus himself did, which will open up our lives to God's power for healing and change. Adopting the practices of Jesus will require us to slow down, make space, and surrender to God. It's a good idea for us to create a personal Rule of Life that defines how we will regularly engage with these practices. The Rule of Life acts much like a trellis that supports, lifts, and guides a soul to grow and branch in its desired, fruitful direction. The personal Rule we each develop will help us to regularly and intentionally​​ connect to Jesus so that he has free rein to reshape our souls and produce a life that reflects him in everything we are and do.

I look forward to joining with you on this journey together this summer at White Oak.

Guarding my heart,

Nathan

Nathan Hinkle

Lead Pastor

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