The RESIST Rule of Life
Six simple habits for Holy Resistance in everyday life
When the world feels loud and complicated, discipleship needs to be small, faithful, and repeatable. The RESIST Rule of Life is a six-part rhythm—one practice for each letter of RESIST—that forms us to refuse what dehumanizes and to embody the kingdom Jesus announces in Luke.
We don’t resist for victory; we resist from resurrection—empowered by the Spirit (dýnamis ex hýpsous, Luke 24:49).
R — Remember (Daily)
Identity before activity. Begin each day grounded in belovedness and purpose.
Breath-prayer on waking: “Beloved of God, sent to love.”
Read Luke 4:18–19 aloud twice this week; let Jesus’ mission re-center yours.
Gratitude micro-practice: name three mercies before checking your phone.
Why this resists: it pushes back against shame, fear, and rush by rooting you in a truer story.
E — Examine (Daily/Weekly)
Train your attention. Let truth, not anxiety, set the agenda.
Do a news examen: What’s true? What’s fear? Who is invisible? Where is mercy needed?
Name your emotion; then ask: What does love require today?
Why this resists: outrage economies disciple us into contempt. Examination disciples us into wisdom and mercy.
S — Share (Weekly)
Tables are strategy. Jesus reimagines guest lists (Luke 14).
Once a week, eat with someone beyond your circle—a neighbor, coworker, newcomer, or someone lonely.
Practice radical hospitality: listen more than you speak; bless more than you impress.
Why this resists: isolation and status games lose their power when we practice kinship in public.
I — Intercede & Interfere (Daily/Monthly)
Pray and act. Prayer opens our hearts; action interrupts harm.
Intercede for the most vulnerable person you saw this week.
Interfere gently with harm: write a letter, make a call, show up, accompany, connect resources.
Why this resists: it converts compassion into courage and breaks the habit of helplessness.
S — Shift (Monthly/Quarterly)
Let money and time tell the truth.
Reallocate one recurring expense toward mercy/repair (mutual aid, benevolence, re-entry, food access).
Block one hour/month for presence-based service. Put it on the calendar.
Why this resists: budgets and schedules are spiritual documents; shifting them changes the world you inhabit.
T — Tell (Ongoing)
Truth with tenderness. Refuse dehumanizing stories—especially about opponents.
Practice a speech fast from contempt.
Follow Matthew 18 in conflict; confess fast when you miss it.
Share one short testimony each month of repair or hospitality you’ve seen.
Why this resists: lies and contempt are viruses; truthful speech with love is an antidote.
How to start (realistically)
Pick one action per letter this week (or even one letter/day: Mon–Sat).
Stack practices onto existing habits (e.g., breath-prayer while making coffee, news examen after reading headlines).
Keep it communal: text a friend or small group what you’re trying and what you notice.
For small groups (4 weeks)
Magnify & Reconnect (Luke 1): Read Mary’s Song; each person names something to de-magnify and something of God to magnify. Plan one shared table.
Revelation (Luke 4): Share your news examens; choose one “Refuse” discipline together (e.g., no contempt online).
Response (Luke 14): Host The Guest-List Experiment dinner; debrief hospitality as resistance.
Reconciliation & Resistance (Luke 19): Choose one repair act (settle a debt, seed mutual aid, court-watch, support re-entry). Set a date.
For churches
Print the six habits in the bulletin seasonally; preach them through Luke 4, 14, 19, 24.
Tie offerings to visible repair (benevolence, food access, re-entry).
End services with a commission: one action to take, one harmful script to refuse.
Tell stories: kitchens, markets, classrooms, and boardrooms where kinship is practiced.
A closing word of hope
On the road to Emmaus, the risen Jesus opened Scripture and set hearts burning (Luke 24:32). That same Spirit empowers small, steady practices that re-humanize our neighbors and ourselves. Start small. Keep going. Tell the truth. Set the table. RESIST.
