Routine
/ruːˈtiːn/

A long time ago, there was a woman who usually went to draw water from a well that was outside her city. Now, this was not unusual as when a well was placed outside the city, it served as a meeting place for women who collected the water, and for strangers.

What was, however, unusual was that this woman often went there alone and without company. The reason?, she was ostracized and the reason was that this woman had been with 5 husbands and the current man in her life was not even her husband.

Even in today’s liberal context, this was still newsworthy but you can imagine how much of an outcast she was in those days ! Husbands would have literally told their wives to avoid her.

She had one thing going for her, though, a routine.

She would go to the well around noon, when every other woman had left there and she would not need to cope with the pointed looks and whispers of scorn. I imagine she had no real friends in that city and to make matters worse, her neighbors outside the city were Jews who would absolutely have nothing to do with her or others in her city.

So this woman who was seeking love & affection, who had failed miserably given her 5 previous attempts, would go to this well and draw some water; I imagine it would also be some alone time for her to sit there with her thoughts and let down her guard in a place where nobody was judging her.

Well, this routine set her up for an appointment she knew nothing about. On the day of the appointment, a burden came upon her Savior for we are told in John 4:4 (NKJV) that “Now he had to go through Samaria” / (KJV) “And he must needs go through Samaria”.

Unpacking this, “must needs”? “had to”? it was not “a want”!, it was “a need” and with the same weight of e.g. a need to drink water or some other life sustaining activity. “Must needs” is double emphasis for a pressing need !

The consistency of her routine drew the attention of Jesus who took a very unlikely route, given the hostilities between Jews and Samaritans, possibly in haste so that he could arrive about noon, in order to be sat in time for her to arrive.

Routine is defined as “a sequence of actions regularly followed”. What makes a thing “routine” is the word “regularly”. Synonyms for this word include “practice”, “drill”, “regime”, “pattern”.

Human beings are creatures of routine whether we like it or not. We’re just more familiar with what routine creates: Habits.

Can you stop for a few minutes and review/examine your routine? do you just scroll through social media every time you get “a breather”? do you listen to just any and every song; even from artistes with demonic altars? do you just watch any and every type of movies even when your spirit is raising alarm bells? do you just hang out with any and everyone especially those who abhor Jesus? do you just consume any type of “enlightenment / awakening” material other than the Bible?

Here’s the thing; your routine will get someone/something’s attention, whether you like it or not.

This is a call to examine your routines — to remove the ungodly and fill it with godly ones. Infuse speaking in tongues at work, during your breaks, when you wake up, before you go to bed, listening to Christian messages from true men of God, reading books from true men of God, listening to music from true ministers of God, reading your bible everyday, memorizing scripture, marking specific times of the day for you to pray and sticking to them etc..

For the one who is maintaining a routine of prayer / study of the Bible / an environment of worship and fellowship with God, hang in there ! Jesus is on the way to encounter you.

Happy New Year 2025 !

Author:

Tosin Oluwatola