I am a creature of habit and routine. While I love change, diversity, and the adventurous nature of the Holy Spirit; there is something to habit and routine that is simultaneously comfortable, challenging and life giving. While this is the nature of my personality, when it comes to our relationship with Christ, discipline, habit, routine and rhythm are all important regardless of our personality. To be a disciple means to be one who learns and who has discipline. It does not require a rigid, legalistic approach to life; that would be unhealthy and unbiblical. Those who follow Jesus, and especially those who serve in a ministry leadership position need to create habit, routine, time, rhythm and space that they maintain with discipline in when it comes to the practice of the disciplines. The spiritual disciplines are the training tools that keep us focused on Jesus; keep us healthy and walking in the spirit. It is so easy to neglect our own spiritual lives as leaders; after all we are busy doing many great things for God. If we are doing things for God, than certainly God will sustain us. Without carving out time for the practice of disciplines that connect us with the creator, our cup will run dry. When our cup runs dry (or our tank is empty) then the best-case scenario is that we are ministering out of our own strength and not the power of God. The worse case scenario is that we are on the path to burnout and death and the devil rejoices at our destruction and those who are impacted by it. Are you maintaining some sort of habit, routine, rhythm and discipline in your relationship with Jesus?