Everyone has habits (yes, even you undisciplined people out there do too!). We have morning routines and a flow to our day. We have things we do every week and schedules that we keep. Some of us are super strict and have very regimented habits. Others of us like to go with the flow more and see what happens every day.
What are your spiritual habits?
Our habits are important. If we don’t show up for work we will get fired. If we don’t have a routine of talking with our kids they will feel neglected. If we don’t have a habit of seeing our friends we will grow distant. If we don’t have the habit of connecting with God will grow empty. Show me a person who feels far from God, and usually they will have neglected the habits of connecting with Him.
Jesus taught us an eternal principle: “I am the Vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). That “remaining” or “abiding” in Christ is not just a feeling – it is a habit. We have to have the habit of staying connected to Jesus, obeying His teaching, being loyal to Him, and choosing Him above other things and people. This happens through the habits of spending time in prayer and Bible reading, in serving others, in sharing our faith, in being generous with our time and money, and in connecting with other Christians. These habits shape us and grow us.
We have to get these habits into our lives. Even a “go with the flow” person can have these habits – because even “go with the flow” people eat and brush their teeth every day (I hope!). Actually, one of the easiest ways to grow a spiritual habit is to connect it to something you already have in your life as a habit – read your Bible while you eat a meal, pray while you brush your teeth, or share your faith while on social media.
God made us to bear His fruit in our lives – love, joy, peace (and all the rest). We all want those. They can’t truly be found anywhere else than in our Creator. Let me say that again, because we run after so many other things thinking they will give us true fulfillment, and they won’t. We can only find true love, joy, and peace in Christ.
Let’s not just say we love Jesus – let’s make it a habit.
