Spoken Word Meditation | The Trellis for Your Soul | The Rule of Life Series, Pt. 5

When you hear the phrase “Rule of Life,” what do you imagine? Do you picture Mom’s chore chart or a dusty old monastic manual? Think again. In today’s spoken-word episode, we’re flipping the script on what you might think of as a Rule of Life. Rooted in the Latin word regula — meaning trellis — a Rule of Life is less about restriction or checkboxes and more about support for optimal growth. It’s a grace-filled framework that helps your soul, like a plant, grow in the direction it naturally longs to go. Think of it as spiritual essentialism: creating sacred space for what matters most … while gently pruning the rest like a good gardener. 

Drawing inspiration from St. Benedict’s 6th century rhythm of prayer, work, and rest, we explore how a Rule of Life brings both focus and freedom. This isn’t about hustle. It’s about crafting rhythms that align with your identity and purpose in Christ. What holy habits help you flourish? What might you gently release? If you’ve been overwhelmed by your own (or others’) spiritual expectations, this meditative, spoken-word episode reaches into your spirit and invites you to trade obligation for intimacy. 

Reflection Questions:

• What’s one holy habit I want to reclaim or lean into this week?
• What’s one thing I need to let go of — not because it’s “bad,” but because it’s not helping me become who I truly am?

Chapters

• 0:00 Redefining Rule of Life
• 0:36 Regula: A Spiritual Trellis
• 2:25 Two Reflection Questions
• 2:47 Closing Prayer

Transcript

Michele: 0:15

A Rule of Life isn't a list of religious chores. It's a rhythm of grace. When you hear the phrase Rule of Life, what comes to mind? For some of us it sounds like a strict schedule or a spiritual to-do list, but that's actually not where the term comes from. The phrase Rule of Life comes from the Latin word regula, and it doesn't mean rule like a command. It actually means something more like a trellis, the kind of structure you'd use in a garden to support a growing vine. That's what a Rule of Life is meant to be. Not a set of restrictions, but a supportive framework for your soul, something that helps you grow in the right direction.

Michele: 1:08

The idea goes back to the 6th century when St Benedict of Nursia wrote the Rule of St Benedict, a rhythm of daily prayer, work, rest and community. His rule wasn't about legalism. It was about ordering life around what mattered most and doing it in a way that brought balance, presence and peace. And that's still the heart of a Rule of Life today. If you've ever read Essentialism by Greg McKeown, you know the idea: Cut the clutter, get clear, focus on what really matters. A Rule of Life is like the spiritual version of essentialism. It's a gentle rhythm of holy habits, spiritual practices, life-giving rhythms and intentional yeses that help you live from your deepest identity in Christ. It's just as much about what you let go of as what you choose to hold on to. It's not about performance, it's about alignment. It's not about doing more. It's about doing what matters with God, in partnership with Him.

Michele: 2:26

Here are two reflection questions to consider this week. What's one holy habit I want to reclaim or lean into this week? What's one thing I need to let go of, not because it's bad, but because it's not helping me become who I truly am? Let's close in prayer. Glorious Father, thank you that you are not a taskmaster. You're never measuring my worth in checkboxes. You're inviting me to a life of rhythm, grace, and rest. Help me craft a way of life that makes space for you, not just in the quiet moments, but in every breath. Show me what to keep, show me what to release, and help me live from union, not obligation. In Jesus' name. Amen. Have a wonderful day and go in peace.