I’m discovering that you get some pretty odd requests as Global Convenor of the OMS. This week it was from Premier Media, who invited us to comment on the fact that pop star Justin Bieber has published something that looks suspiciously like a rule of life on his Instagram account.

The list starts with “We value Rest as Worship”, follows up with “We value Longevity and a sustainable pace of life”, and ends on “We value HUMAN beings and believe in their dignity and eternal worth”. It seems like someone in the Bieber household has been reading Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28-30; maybe in the Message translation which puts it like this: “Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”

Rules of life are one of the oldest spiritual practises in the Christian faith. Starting with the Desert Fathers and Mothers, running through the monastic traditions, and right up to the present day, Christian heroes from Benedict to Billy Graham have created and lived by them. Despite the name they have never really been about ‘following the rules’. A rule of life isn’t there to constrain your freedom, it exists to liberate you to grow and fulfil your God-given potential.

One of the things that every OMS member discovers is that good intentions are not enough. Values of servanthood and generosity are good and biblical, but unless we do the work of translating them into practises of servanthood and generosity they remain just vague ideals. The world is full of insta-warriors who say they believe in caring for the environment yet struggle to separate their recycling or turn down the heating. As Pete Greig puts it: “If Creeds are what we believe and Christ is why we believe, a Rule is how we seek to live out that faith, day to day as disciples in the power of the Holy Spirit.”

In setting out their values for life, faith, and marriage, the Biebers have made a great start on the journey of practical discipleship. In sharing it with their 293 million followers (nearly half a million of whom Liked it), they may have accidentally preached one of the most widely heard reflections on Matthew 11 ever. They join a growing number of celebrities and influencers who seem to be losing their fear of talking openly about their Christian faith. This Christmas as you hear his 2011 hit ‘Mistletoe’ for the umpteenth time, take a moment to pray for Justin and Hailey Bieber, that they would not only be willing to confess their belief in Christ but would live it out through developing spiritual practises that work in their admittedly rather unusual version of everyday life.