Understanding and Using a Rule of Life:
A “Rule of Life” is a necessary ingredient in a healthy and successful spiritual life, and all those who competently negotiate through the demands and struggles of daily life will do so on the basis of the terms of a Rule of life. What is a Rule of Life?
A rule of life is a list of expectations which one must have to be successful in the spiritual life. For example, one may go to church every Sunday, pray once a day, and read his Bible daily. If he expects this of himself on a consistent basis, this is a rule of life. A rule of life is also a measurement; if one judges the success of his daily spiritual endeavors by comparing his actual practice to what he expects of himself, then he is using a rule of life. A rule of life is also a goal toward which one directs his spiritual life; if we somehow wish that we could do more than we do, spiritually, then we are also using a rule of life, as a “rule” always includes an expectation of improvement in our spiritual accomplishments.
The word “rule” derives from the Latin word regula, from which we also get our word “ruler.” Thus the word has about it the connotation of a measurement, by which we identify what is expected of us, allow our lives to be guided by it, and measure our success. Regula is the Latin translation of the Greek word kanon, from we get our word and concept of “canon law.” A canon is a rule by which the expectations of the Holy Faith are applied to our daily living situations. From these two words which form the origin of the concept, we come to understand that a rule of life is obviously a list of spiritual expectations which gives structure and form to our spiritual lives, identifies our successes and failures, and provides us with goals to which we should always strive to attain.
Based upon this explanation, it is evident that we all practice our Christianity with at least an implied sense of a rule of life. We have certain fundamental expectations of ourselves, we often measure our expectations against our actual behavior, and we often express regret that we fail to accomplish more. It is therefore impossible to practice Christianity in any way without some sort of “rule,” and since this is true, it might behoove us to know what the Church tells us about using a rule of life in a more formal and traditional manner so that we can attain greater success in our spiritual endeavors..
A rule of life has the following basic ingredients, all of which are necessary to a successful and productive spiritual life:
1. Expectations for daily prayer. A successful prayer life will have two aspects, private and corporate. This means that we will strive to set aside time for private prayer, and will make this a priority, and we will also strive to be successful in our attendance at Sunday and Holy day liturgies. A prayer life cannot be successful without both of these qualities being accomplished in some form, and a rule of life will list the details of our prayer expectations.
2. Tithing and Almsgiving: One of the goals of the Christian spiritual life is alter our sense of materialism and our dependence upon money as a sort of savior to all our problems. Giving the “first fruits” of one’s income [tithing] is one of the first ways in which this struggle is accomplished, and failure to accomplish this undermines ones spiritual success. Almsgiving is contributing to the needs of those in want, be they orphans, widows, disaster victims, etc. Almsgiving does not supplant tithing, it is in addition to it. This is expected in the Christian life, and as a rule of life will include such as a part of our spiritual discipline, it will specify what giving we are expected to do and when.
3. Spiritual Reading: Understanding the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, what He taught, and how it applies to our daily lives is a prerequisite to successful spiritual development. Consequently, a rule of life will expect that one do regular reading of the Bible, and may include, as well, regular reading of spiritual books, church history or biographies of the saints, and will list these expectations.
4. Confession: Measured against Christ’s expectations of us as made clear to us in corporate worship, prayer, and spiritual reading, we will find it necessary to regularly confess our sins. To assist us in this necessary and healing task, a rule of life will always include our expectations for self-examination and confession. Specifying how often we expect this of ourselves and how often we actually accomplish it will be critical to the healthy development of our souls.
5. Fasting & Abstinence: The Patristic writers without fail remind us that the door to all of the passions [our basic instincts, which, uncontrolled, dominate our lives and lead us into sin] is through our control of our eating habits. Knowing this, a rule of life will include expectations for fasting AND abstinence and we will strive to fulfill these disciplines knowing they are critical to our spiritual success.
6. Behavioral Alteration: The perspective behind any rule of life is that of life-changing behavior. To apply a rule of life to one’s behavior is to strive to improve oneself, particularly in the spiritual life, but also in all aspects of one’s life, from family relationships, to public behavior, to personal reactions to life’s stimulations. A rule will include which behaviors we are intending to alter, as we strive for holiness.
There are many other ideas which can be listed in a rule, but these are fundamentals, and one beginning to use a rule should settle for accomplishing these basic principles first. In two weeks, we will include a form for creating a personal rule of life, but in the meanwhile, one desiring to use the concept of using a rule should make two lists, one of personal accomplishments in the above disciplines, and one of hopes for future attainment. Having compiled such lists, analyze them and pose the question, “What is my next step in improving my commitment in these areas?”
More information in two weeks.