Rising early is often proclaimed to be one of the keys to getting the most out of your day. We see the examples of rising early in the Bible by the excellent wife of Proverbs 31 and Jesus.
She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household.(Proverbs 31:15)
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.(Mark 1:35 ESV)
One of of the chapters in Shopping for Time is entitled Joining the 5 AM club. What I appreciate about this chapter is that it acknowledges that rising early is going to look differently for those in different places in life. Getting up at 5 AM is no where near practical for me.
With three children under the age of three, it is not unusual for me to have been up with one or more children in the night. My husband is often up late working or studying, and I almost always stay up with him. In the past, we have put our children's bed time later to accomodate daddy's work schedule while making sure the girls have gotten to spend time with their daddy. I am not a morning person, and it is not and ideal time for me to do serious Bible study or prayer. Rising early for me is going to mean getting up at a consistent time, before the kids, so that I'm ready to start the day practically and spiritually. While I'm not going to do my meatier Bible study when I first get up, I am going to spend some time in the Word to get my day off on the right foot.
Things to Consider About Choosing a Waking Time
- What do you want to have done before your children rise?
- How long do you anticipate those activities taking?
- What time can you get up that allows for adequate sleep?
- What waking time will best serve your husband and family over all? (Starting your day at 5 AM simply because it is early does not glorify God.)
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