Recently, I was reading some material that referred to a concept known as Key Performance Indicators (KPI), which when used carefully, could determine the overall health of an organization.  These numbers, as stated, are simply indicators of health of an organization, much like cholesterol, blood pressure and weight can be used to determine the soundness of physical health by my family physician. 

Of course, we're always talking about ways to measure Mosaic's overall health using this kind of strategy, but I began thinking about the Key Performance Indicators that show how my overall spiritual health is doing, personally.  What would I measure that indicates where I am spiritually speaking?  The first thing that came to mind will probably surprise you, but I'm convinced it is my most useful indicator:  How consistently I am in bed by 10pm.

I think about life as a pastor, my spiritual wellness hinges on my alone time with God.  My alone time with God hinges on my ability to get up early, and my ability to get up early hinges on whether I am in bed by 10pm.  I don't require a ton of sleep; usually 6.5 hours is more than enough and I usually wake up on my own without an alarm.  

The other thing I've noticed about my sleeping habits is this:  Nothing good ever happens to me, spiritually speaking, after midnight.  In fact, the opposite is true.  I'm spiritually weak and therefore, vulnerable to temptation and spiritual attack when I'm physically tired.  If I stay up late, I sleep in.  My morning is rushed and usually my time with God gets squeezed into insignificant drivel before I'm forced to conform to the demands of my schedule.  It's a vicious cycle because once this happens, my sleep cycle begins to shift, I don't get sleepy until later, which means that I will again go to bed later (nothing good happens after midnight) and thereby, wake up later, etc., etc.

On the other hand, in the mornings, I am most spiritually refreshed.  I find God easily in the quietness of the morning when even the refrigerator is too loud.  I think better, pray better and am able to meditate on His word so much more clearly.  Giving God the best time of my day is an investment that I have seen pay off in so many ways!

So, I've come to conclude that my greatest, consistent spiritual battle rages in the discipline of going to bed early. Who would have ever thought it?  Boy, as I write this, I also conclude that I have become such an old fart!

So now you know how to pray for me.