A Rule of Life can sound like a big project. Something you sit down and design, with categories and a plan.
But most of us already have rhythms shaping our lives. We just haven’t named them. That’s one of the insights John Mark Comer shares in Practicing the Way.
I’ve been introducing this idea inside Foundation Builder, and I know how it can land: another framework, another thing to add to an already full plate. So before I ask you to build anything new, I want to show you where it actually started for me.
Years ago, when our kids were small, my husband and I started two practices. He likes naming things, so they got names: Bible Breakfast and Humble Huddle.
Bible Breakfast is morning. We eat together and read Scripture. Then we talk about what it means and how it applies to our day.
Humble Huddle is evening. We check in. What we’re thankful for. Where we’re struggling or need to repent. What we’re hoping for. In recent years, we added one more question: naming something good we noticed in each other.
That’s it. A meal we were already eating and a moment we made room for.
True to who we are, we gave these habits names that meant something. But it wasn’t until years later, after I immersed myself in the teaching of Practicing the Way, that I realized what we’d actually built. John Mark Comer’s work on the Rule of Life put language to something we had already been living out at our own table (sometimes couch) for years. Bible Breakfast was Scripture. Humble Huddle was confession, gratitude, and hope, all in one sitting.
Realizing what we’d already been living gave me even more appreciation for our own habits, and the value they’ve added to our family dynamic. It wasn’t always a welcomed time for everyone, every time. There were seasons it felt like a chore instead of a gift. But we stuck with it, and now it’s just how we do life together.
Recently, while on vacation, someone asked to be part of what they called our “family ritual.” We’d never forced it on anyone. We’d just mentioned it in passing over the years. Being asked to include someone else in it was unexpectedly affirming. It reminded me that ordinary faithfulness has a way of becoming visible over time.
Looking back, this is what a Rule of Life actually is. Not always a new set of practices from scratch. Sometimes, being intentional about rhythms you already keep.
That realization has changed how I think about rhythms, both personally and professionally. Assessing your rhythms isn’t just about adding something new. Sometimes it means noticing what’s already there and asking if it still belongs. A habit that once felt harmless might now be pulling you farther from the life God is inviting you into. Naming your rhythms gives you the chance to see that clearly, and to let some things go.
Before you build something new, notice what God may have already been building through the ordinary rhythms of your life.
You already eat breakfast. You already have some kind of evening wind-down, even if it’s just putting the kids to bed or scrolling before sleep. What if one of those became the place where you told the truth, gave thanks, and named hope out loud?
Here’s how to start:
- Pick one meal or moment you already have most days.
- Add one question to it. Start with just one: What are we thankful for? Where do we need to repent? What are we hoping for?
- Keep it short. Ours usually takes about 15 to 30 minutes.
- Let it grow over time. We added the “notice something good in each other” question years after we started. You don’t need the finished version on day one.
You don’t need a new system. You need a meal you’re already eating and the willingness to ask one honest question at it.
If you’re wondering what rhythms are already shaping your life—or which ones God may be inviting you to keep, change, or let go—you don’t have to figure it out alone. That’s exactly what we do together in a Foundation Builder. Through thoughtful questions and prayerful conversation, we’ll uncover what’s already there and discern your next faithful step.
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