How Your 2019 Patterns Will Define Your Year

There is a fascinating verse in the Bible that says this: “Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed” (Matthew 21:44). It is essentially saying that the person who willing surrenders to the truth will be hurt, challenged, and convicted by it. And the only other option is to deny it; but in doing so it will fall on us unawares and destroy us completely. One way or another, we have to face reality.

This makes me think of the routines of my life. The rhythms. I recently heard someone talk about New Years as a time to re-evaluate and reset their daily rhythms.

Our brains are wired in such a way as to develop and reinforce patterns. We often say we are creatures of habit. The more I live, the more I find this to be a profound truth.

Crushed

As a college student, I hated patterns. They felt oppressive and prescriptive. I wanted to do my own thing. I wanted freedom.

A huge part of this was my immature view of freedom. Regardless, the fact is we cannot avoid patterns. We become used to things. We tie our shoes without really thinking about it. We might defend our politics in the same way. The way we respond to conflict in our families is another. Our patterns are developing every day and there is nothing we can do about it.

If we ignore our patterns, like the lessons of history, we are bound to repeat the mistakes inherent within. We will keep arguing out of defensiveness, denying our addictions, blaming others for what is our responsibility.

In short, the power and weight of our patterns will destroy us if we let them. Try as we might, we cannot ignore them or cover them up. They are reality. They are truth. And if we ignore them, they will overtake us.

Broken

On the other hand, we can see this tendency to pattern as an opportunity. After all, patterns are not inherently negative. It is possible to have good patterns. Waking up early, working out, going to church every week: these are all positive patterns that speak to the reality of our existence.

So, then, the cure to our negative patterns is not trying to live a life free of patterns (as my college self thought) but living a life of free patterns. The weight and power of freedom can be a force of good in our lives.

In order to do so, we need to let the truth of our patterns speak to us. Let them reveal what needs to be changed (re-patterned). Let them show us the opportunity to take what begins as challenging and almost impossible into something we do nearly subconsciously.

Think about the marathon runner who wakes up for training day one and thinks 26 miles is impossible. After lots of work (“breaking”), a new pattern is set and they can run further than previously imagined.

To make the most of life, we need to make the most of our patterns. They are here to stay. The choice is whether we ignore them and let them have their way or take ownership of them and set them with intention. Either way, our patterns will determine the life we live.