The Common Rule by Justin Whitmel Earley
Week 12: Practicing the Rule — Starting and Sustaining
Read any remaining practical or concluding sections of The Common Rule. Key Scripture: Luke 9:23; Philippians 1:6.
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The hardest part of any rule of life is not deciding to adopt it — it's what you do on the third week when the novelty is gone and the old habits are pulling you back. This week, make a concrete plan rather than another vague intention.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Earley acknowledges that starting a rule of life is exciting but sustaining it is hard. What has been your experience with spiritual disciplines over time — do you tend to start strong and fade, or do you tend to never start at all? What does that pattern tell you?
2.He recommends starting with one or two habits rather than all eight at once, and letting the others follow as those become established. Which one or two habits do you sense God calling you to begin with, and why those?
3.Earley is clear that the goal is not perfectionism — missing a day or a week is not failure, and rigid self-condemnation is its own kind of trap. How do you typically handle falling off a new habit? How might you respond differently in light of what this book has taught you?
a.What would a grace-filled response to failure look like for you specifically?
b.Who could help you return to the path when you've wandered?
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