I’m a creature of habit. Most of my life revolves around my habits. I set out my clothes the night before. I pack my gym bag the night before. My coffee cup is laid out the night before. Regardless of what day it is, I get up every morning and follow the same routine. Yeah, I’m that guy! (The best book ever written on the subject of habits is “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. It has sold over 10 million copies and was the #1 selling book last year. Yes, it’s that good!)
One of my habits is reading through the Bible every year. As always, I start in January with the book of Genesis. A few days ago, I was reading Genesis 1, and a couple of things stood out to me.
“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:31 NIV)
First, God was not in a rush. He could have created everything in one day or one minute if he had chosen to, but he didn’t. He intentionally took six days to do it. The seventh day was a day of coffee and rest. As I thought about this, I realized I’m not very good at slowing down to enjoy the moments. I always seem to rush to get to the next thing. My wife is constantly reminding me to slow down and relax. I’m not good at it, but for the past few days, I’ve been working on this. (I just finished a great book called, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by Mark Comer. If you struggle with this as well, get a copy of the book. It’s an easy read.)
Another thing I noticed is that God said everything was good. The last thing said each day was, “And God saw that it was good.” The only way God could say that is if he slowed down long enough to reflect upon his day and his work. When’s the last time you stopped a few minutes before going to bed and reflecting upon your day’s work?
Even more so, he said this because he was celebrating his progress. This is a great reminder for us. How often do we lament and beat ourselves up for not making enough progress or hitting our goals? What would happen if we stopped measuring the gap and started measuring our gains? (A great book on this is “The Gap and the Gain” by Dr. Benjamin Hardy. It’s a book I recommend to everyone. If you struggle with beating yourself up and perfection, you should check it out. I plan to reread it this year.)
The last thing I noticed is that darkness always gives way to light. At the end of each day, the scripture declares, “And there was evening, and there was morning” (Genesis 1:31). When God is writing your story, you can always count on a new day. There’s always a new day in God, and each day is a new beginning. His mercies are also new every morning (Lam. 3:22-23). Every day is a new beginning and a chance to be or do something different. God loves new beginnings so much that he chose to take his time with creation and do a little each day.
I think that’s what the Lord would want for us this year. Enjoy your day, celebrate your progress, and do a little each day!
*Disclaimer: The purpose of this post is not to sell you a book. I’m an avid reader, so I always recommend books to my friends. However, if you do purchase a book through one of the above links, I do earn a small commission to help pay for my website hosting fees. I would never recommend a book I do not like or have not read.
