HOLY
HABITS
“Be
not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that
shall he also reap.” - Galatians 6:7
We
are creatures of habit. Some habits are good, such as washing your
hands before meals and brushing your teeth twice a day. But many of
our habits are actually unhealthy and counterproductive. If it is
your habit to eat two helpings at every meal, this habit will bring
about health issues that are bad and dangerous.
I
have to admit that there are habits I need to change. For instance,
I tend to overeat at times. But when I have homemade biscuits and
gravy placed before me, I usually get more than one helping! In
hindsight, this isn't very healthy, but it sure tastes good!
Spiritually,
there are habits we should apply if we are serious about our
spiritual growth. While some would call these, “spiritual
disciplines,” I prefer to call them holy habits.
Now
that we are in a new year, I suggest that we examine our lives and
honestly appraise the habits we've grown accustomed to. Are our
habits healthy or not? Do we have any holy habits? What habits do
we need in our lives?
I
believe there are certain habits we need to integrate into our lives.
If you are an older, mature believer, you are probably practicing
most of these habits already. For new believers, you should seek to
implement them in your life as soon as possible.
READ
THE WORD DAILY
One
holy habit every Christian should cultivate is the discipline of
reading the Bible daily. There are numerous reading plans available
online. Whether you intend to read through the entire Bible this
year or just the New Testament, make sure you are reading the Word of
God daily. Don't skip a day here or there. In fact, read the Word
before you greet the day. Eventually, this habit will become second
nature to you.
PRAY
DAILY
Here
is another simple, yet powerful habit that every believer needs to
implement. Pray daily. Far too many people only pray when they get
into trouble or face a fearful situation. Prayer is vital to
enjoying fellowship with God. The habits of Bible reading and prayer
should go together. We talk to God in prayer and He talks to us from
His Word.
WORSHIP
PUBLICLY
Here's
another simple, holy habit. Attend church on a regular basis. Don't
just show up when you feel spiritual. Get plugged into a good,
Bible-teaching, Bible-preaching church. Experience the loving
fellowship of believers. Be a faithful member of a good church.
MEMORIZE
SCRIPTURE
I
know that this holy habit will scare many away, yet it is a powerful
habit that can transform your life. Store Scripture in your memory.
Whether it is a few verses or actual chapters, meditate on the Word
and memorize the verse(s), chapters and Bible books that feed your
soul. Far too many people concentrate on the finished product (being
able to recite passages or chapters). The key is to be fed during
the process of memorization. Memorization requires a deep dive into
Biblical meditation. Here's the real reason many struggle with
Scripture memorization. The process requires time. You must set
aside time to memorize new verses and recite old ones. Yet if you
invest time in this habit, it will pay great dividends in the future.
GIVING
Most
churches take up an offering at every service. Giving is a popular
sermon topic, especially for pastors who are involved in budgetary
concerns. Yet giving goes deeper than the weekly offering at church.
As Christians, we should be generous people. While we have an
obligation to faithfully give to our local church, there are other
ministries that we may prayerfully consider giving to. By the way,
be generous when you give a tip at a restaurant. Give without
fanfare or a desire to be noticed or repaid. Generosity is more an
issue of your heart than it is your wallet.
I
have given you just a few holy habits to consider for this new year.
Ralph Waldo Emerson is credited for saying: “Sow
a thought, and you reap an action; sow an act, and you reap a habit;
sow a habit, and you reap a character; sow a character, and you reap
a destiny.”
I
want to be a better Christian in 2025 than I was in 2024, what about
you?
