Time to stop just going through the motions

Day 25 of Lent (not counting Sundays), and just 15 to go. We're on the downhill slide to Easter, folks! Time to put this daily devotional commitment on cruise control and just go through the motions until the end, right?

WRONG!

Too many aspects of our lives are on automatic pilot already. We get up, go through the same morning routine, try to find some variety among the same closet full of clothes, drive the same route to work and do many of the same tasks day-in and day-out at the office.

Then we go home, eat dinner (in my case often without family because I have worked late), watch some TV until we are too sleepy to keep our eyes open any longer, drag ourselves to bed, get six or seven hours of sleep, then get up and do it all over again.

Often we do the same thing in our spiritual lives, don't we? We declare that we're too busy for daily spiritual reflection, Bible study or prayer. Then we go to church on Sunday morning, sit in the same pew and passively listen to the service (participating only when called upon to do so), then head home to spend the next six days without God in our lives. The following Sunday, we go through the same routine.

If this sounds like your life, I'm going to challenge you (and me at the same time) to stop just going through the motions. And not just today, but every day!

Get up tomorrow morning and do part of your morning routine out of the usual order. Brush your teeth before getting in the shower or afterward, depending on what you normally do. (Just don't put your clothes on before you get in the shower. That dripping wet look might not go over so well at the office, unless you're a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model or this guy:)

Get in your car and drive a different way to work. Turn off the radio or iPod and use all of your senses as you make the journey. Look for things you don't normally observe. What has changed since the last time you drove down those streets? What do you hear? If the weather is good, roll down the window and take in the scent of the place, too.

Now you're at the office. Look for ways all day long to shake up the normal routine. I'm not suggesting telling the boss where he can stick the work you don't want to do anymore, of course. But find a way to make it fun -- can you listen to some different music while doing it? Can you share it with a co-worker? What about doing the things you dislike quickly and making time for something you really want to do but haven't made a priority?

Now step back and look at your spiritual health. Isn't it well past time to carve out at least a few minutes each day for prayer, if not Bible study and spiritual reflection? After all, isn't your relationship with God a bit more important than the latest reality show?

Let's all commit during these last two weeks of Lent to stop just going through the motions and start living life to its fullest. We'll all be happier, healthier and more spiritually whole for it.