​If you stepped into a time machine and got to see all of Christian Church history from the time of Jesus until now, you would notice a really interesting thread that connects it all.

​You’d see that the questions that are being asked are the same.

​“How do we actually follow Jesus?”

​“What does it look like to be a Christian in the middle of day to day life?”

​“How do we change?”

​And there are plenty more. But even as time, culture, and technology has changed drastically, the questions remain the same.

​Aren’t we all asking very similar things?

​In the middle of our day and age, dealing with social media and the busyness of life that is shaping and forming us every single day and at every waking moment, we too are asking, how do we actually follow Jesus every day in a way where we will actually see change?
​What if I told you that just like the questions being ancient, the solution is too?
​There is an idea in historical Christianity called “a rule of life.”

​Now, pause. Sometimes when we hear about rules, we freak out. We immediately shut things down and our pride steps in and declares, “We don’t need rules! We can figure it out on our own. There is no need for someone to tell us what to do!”

​Breathe.

​First of all, when it comes to following Jesus, how is that working out for you? I’d assume it works sometimes, and fails most of the time? Willpower and being the captain of our own destiny doesn’t often work. Because our emotions and our feelings often get in the way and trip us up.

​We need support.

​And that’s what this idea of a rule of life is all about.

​Notice that they didn’t call it RULES for Life. They called it a RULE OF LIFE. The original Latin word was regula, where we get the English words regular and regulation, as well as the words rule and ruler. Because the literal translation of this Latin word is “a straight piece of wood.” This same word that is translated, rule, is the word that was used for a trellis in a vineyard. A straight piece of wood that was the support structure for lift vines off of the ground and give them room to breathe, be in proper sunlight, and ultimately produce fruit.

​Early followers of Jesus took the words of Jesus in John 15 so seriously that they developed an entire way of life centered on the idea of Jesus being the Vine and us being the branches. Essentially, claiming that we needed a plan to support our desire to stay connected to Jesus in the middle of the craziness of life. The words of Jesus in John 15 are…

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

John 15:1-8

​Author, speaker, and lawyer, Justin Whitmel Earley, defines a rule of life in a really practical way in his book The Common Rule when he says, “A “rule” is a set of habits that you commit to in order to grow in your love of God and neighbor”. Beautiful.

​A rule of life is a support system that includes everything that you do, and connects you to the true Vine, Jesus, as you allow His love to guide you into love of God and those around you.

​If loving God and others is truly the most important commandment and aim of our lives, then we need to build a support system to allow us to do so. Wouldn’t you agree?