This Article is also a podcast episode, listen to 'Building Biblical Habits' now on Raising The Standard
The productivity movement and personal development industry is built around motivation, inspiration, and behavior change.
At the heart of any program that is focused on behavior change we will find habits, daily routines, and rituals.
Everyone has habits whether you are intentional about your personal habits or not.
In today’s show we are going to look at what Jesus says and teaches about building habits.
Did Jesus have daily habits, routines, and rituals?
The Bible has a lot to say about habits and habitually incorporating or avoiding actions, but most Bible translations miss this. In today’s episode we will breakdown how and why you need to build Biblical Habits so you can be the man God created you to be.
Definitions
Habit: a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.
Habituate: make or become accustomed or used to something.
Does Habit Building Look Different for Christians?
I want to make a statement on the Christian life and why entering Gods Kingdom as a Christian is radically different than subscribing to a philosophy. The Christian life is not a life of imitation or hacking a style by trying hard in your natural energy to change. In the last episode we quoted Paul when he said he is now DEAD to sin. Choosing to follow Christ is to receive new life and be born again. The bible says that you become a new creation, a new species.
When I wrote the Standard, Discovering Jesus as the Standard for Masculinity,. It wasn’t written to hack a style, copycat or merely ‘imitate’ or try to guess what Jesus would do in a certain situation we may be facing in life.
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We do not live the Christian life from our natural energy, we don’t try to become Christians or follow Jesus in our own strength or attempt to modify our behavior by following a checklist. This would be working backwards. We are told in Romans 12 not to conformed to the world but be transformed.
How: by the renewing of our mind
This attitude and disposition happens through our new identity, it affects how we think and what we do. It is from the inside out. We receive new life; a new identity and we align our life and actions around who we have become. We are not working for our faith; our good works are an expression and organic outgrowth of our faith. These actions become our habits.
Sow an action…reap a habit
Sow a habit…reap a character
“Your daily actions and habits show the world where you align your identity. “
What does the Bible say about Developing Habits?
The bible speaks often of habits and habitually incorporating actions or habitually avoiding actions, but most current translations miss this. The Amplified Bible does a great job expanding upon the concepts being related in scripture and incorporating the word ‘habit.’
Here are a few examples:
“What shall we say [to all this]? Should we continue in sin and practice sin as a habit”
Romans 6:1
“We have therefore been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory and power of the Father, we too might walk habitually in newness of life [abandoning our old ways].”
Romans 6:4
“Now if I habitually do what I do not want to do”
Romans 7:16
“You were led off after speechless idols; however you were led off [whether by impulse or habit].”
1 Corinthians 12:2
“…(forsaking gathering) as is the habit of some,…”
Heb 10:25
What did Jesus say?
In Luke 10 we find the account of when the young lawyer approaches Jesus and recites the most important commandment, you can read it below in the New American Standard (NASB).
“YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE.”
In the Amplified Bible (AMP) it is translated this way:
Jesus said to him, "You have answered correctly; DO THIS habitually AND YOU WILL LIVE."
Luke 10:28
Here are other examples of Jesus using the language and concepts of habits.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled [before others]and he who habitually humbles himself (keeps a realistic self-view) will be exalted."
Luke 14:11
Then they asked Him, "What are we to do, so that we may habitually be doing the works of God?" Jesus answered, "This is the work of God: that you believe [adhere to, trust in, rely on, and have faith] in the One whom He has sent."
John 6:28
In ‘Christian Men Stop saying This’ I made the statement that Kingdom Men should not declare “I am just a sinner saved by grace.” I followed that by stating it’s not that Christians don’t or cant sin…we can. But there is a difference between stumbling into sin and deliberately and intentionally living in habitual sin.
In John 8:34 Jesus states,
"I assure you and most solemnly say to you, everyone who practices sin habitually is a slave of sin.
Jesus was addressing the lifestyle of sin that enslaves people. Jesus calls men to leave the habits that keep you in a sinful lifestyle and habitually follow Him with our daily choices and actions. Below are more selections from the Amplified Bible that reinforce this.
“…but glory and honor and inner peace [will be given] to everyone who habitually does good,”
Romans 2:10
But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts].
Galatians 5:16
Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above
Colossians 3:2
And this is how we know [daily, by experience] that we have come to know Him [to understand Him and be more deeply acquainted with Him]: if we habitually keep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments (teachings).
Whoever says, "I have come to know Him," but does not habitually keep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments (teachings), is a liar, and the truth [of the divine word] is not in him.
But whoever habitually keeps His word and obeys His precepts [and treasures His message in its entirety], in him the love of God has truly been perfected [it is completed and has reached maturity]. By this we know [for certain] that we are in Him:
1 John 2:3-5
Take Action
How do we make new habits, what can we learn from ancient practice and modern science? There is now a lot of research around the best way to break and build habits. Below are a few books I recommend.
I am fan of Dr. Caroline Leaf’s work in this area. In her book Think, Learn, Succeed. Dr. Leaf addresses our thinking, the way we learn and its effect on our success. The book is extremely valuable and highly recommend it. She is also a strong believer and incorporates Kingdom principles and spiritual realities into all of her work.
2 Ancient Key’s confirmed by Modern Science
1. Change your Mind: To repent means to change your thinking. Changing the way you think by new renewing your mind.
2. Be a student: Take the posture of a continuous learner. Do this through a habit of reading, hearing, and meditation on the word of God. Combine this with taking action and you will rewire your brain and build new habits.
These daily habits and actions will lead to a life of success. What does success look like for us as Modern Christian Men?
Check out “Does God Want me to be Successful?”
