“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, one of the definitions of a habit is “a settled tendency or usual manner of behavior” It’s a way we behave on a daily basis. And the way we behave determines the quality of our life, including our faith.
What habits shape your daily life? Do you enjoy what you do on a daily basis? Sometimes, we become prisoners to our own habits because we lose the joy of doing something that used to be exciting.
My life was a mess before I met Jesus. I would waste my time self-pitying myself, resting when I wasn’t tired, chasing dreams that would not bring any good to my life. I complained about my job while others were struggling with finding one. I was frustrated by living in year-round warm and sunny California thinking it was boring, especially in winter, while people in other states were freezing and dreaming about that sunny weather.
Jesus changed everything. He changed my attitude, my perspective on my life and people. He helped me get disciplined and serious about my everyday routine that was affecting my mood, my behavior and even my relationships with people.
So, here I want to share THE HABITS THAT HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE and which can change yours too.
GETTING UP BEFORE SUNRISE. That was a huge change for me and a big deal. I had never been a morning person before, until I realized I was wasting my days getting up late. When I got saved, I started reading the Bible and couldn’t get enough of it. I realized that doing that in the morning was the best way to start my day. Besides, I learned that I was more productive. I got more disciplined and responsible for my life, including spiritual one.
STARTING YOUR DAY WITH THE WORD. Start your day with the good news of the gospel rather than the news about what’s going on in the world. Trust me, if you do, you will not miss anything good. Checking on the news first thing in the morning had been my first food of the day for many years before Jesus took the first place in it. Frankly, I have no idea what I would do without hIm. Jesus is the reason I get up and live. Days are not the same without his company in the morning. He gives me strength and wisdom for the day. He helps me love people.
When we devote our first moments of the day to the Lord, we acknowledge our need of him. God delights in seeing His children to want to spend time with him and know him better.
BEING THANKFUL. Starting a day with gratitude for being able to have that one more day has become one of those habits that set my day for success. When I acknowledge that every day is a miracle and a gift that we don’t even deserve, I appreciate it more. I complain less. I love God and people more. I realize that it’s the day the Lord has made and I shouldn’t waste it, but make the most out of it and live for the Lord.
Instead of focusing on what you don't have today, look around and thank for what you do have. You will be surprised at discovering that you have so much!
SURRENDER. EVERY DAY. Surrender yourself completely. Whether you are already a Jesus’s follower or still thinking about it, you need to really understand what that means. In my personal experience, I had to surrender to God many times and I still do it every day, in everything I do. Following Jesus is simply not possible without surrendering to Him our mind and soul. We already have a new Spirit which is sealed and holy, because it’s the Holy Spirit which is living in us now. Our mind and soul, on the other hand, must be renewed daily. They must be surrendered to Jesus every day because only that way will we have God’s will controlling our own.
Just like Jesus died on the cross, we ought to die to ourselves daily. Jesus conquered the sin by his death, and so can we conquer it daily making a decision not to sin having the power to do that in Him.
CHURCH AND CHIRTSIAN COMMUNITY. This one was the hardest for me to do. I didn’t grow up in a Christain home and, therefore, I didn’t have or understand the the importance of being a part of a chirstian community. Chirtsian churches intimidated me because of the abundance of love and attention from other rchristians. I would feel uncomfortable to be noticed or asked about my life. After becoming a Christian, I started looking for a church which would fit my preferences. The bigger church the better! I thought I would just blend in with the hundreds of people where no one would know me and talk to me. I would be left alone. Later on, though, I had to make a decision to commit to one church and develop relationships with others. It was not something I wanted; it was just something God wanted me to do and I did it. I got involved in a small group and made Christian friends. I started growing in my faith and encouraging other believers. That’s how I discovered my spiritual gift of encouragement. I finally started to see the importance of being a part of the Body of Christ.
Isolation is not what God created us for, especially for His children. We are made for the community. We are not meant to live alone. We need help. We need support. We need encouragement. And you can find all that in the body of Christ.
Octavia Butler once said: “Forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not.” I love this quote because it reflects exactly how I feel about my daily life and how habits change it, and I am sure you can relate to that too.
Don’t you feel like you need daily inspiration to start reading your Bible? How about those Sundays when you feel too tired and discouraged to go to church? Do you always have the right words to say when you pray? Isn’t that discouraging too?
These are the things that must be worked on and developed as habits, because the enemy will do all that’s in his power to keep you away from doing what God wants you to do.
Godly habits will change your life and sustain you each day. Don’t you agree?
コメント