Margaret Manning from the Ravi Zacharias International Ministries makes a bold statement on how habits affect our joy, “Finding joy in faithful nurture, care and disciplined engagement with routine is not dependent on the whims of our personalities, or feelings that come and go. Joy is the result of a life lived in the rhythm of rest, routine, and discipline.” Chip Ingram describes a habit as “a behavior that is done so often it becomes automatic or it’s done without thinking.”

Are habits dreadful and boring as many in society presume? Or are they
difficult, yes, dreadful activities, yet fulfilling? Manning and
Ingram, biblical experts, would say so. These habits are
prerequisites to a more joyful life in Christ. Implemented routinely
and correctly, they can not only produce a stronger structure in life
but a happier one too.

The first habit we begin with is named “The Art of
Discipline” by Manning. Discipline may on the surface seem like a
synonym for habit, but I can assure you it isn’t. Discipline is
perpetual will-power, the habit of discipline is routinely embracing
discipline. You may have the discipline to run one 5k, but then to run
5ks regularly is a habit. Anyway, I digress. Spiritual discipline is
accepting to love God and to serve him. John 15:9-10 instructs us, “As
the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have
kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” Keeping God’s
commands, as the verse says, shows that we love God. Intuitively, it
makes sense to habitually keep God’s commands, after all, he’s “alpha
and omega,” “Lord of Lords", and "Kings of Kings.”

Righteous living, the second habit, is closely related to the
habit of discipline. Titus 2:11 describes righteousness as saying “no
to worldliness and all ungodliness and yes to upright, righteous,
living.” Living righteously entails having pure thoughts and pure
actions, doing what’s right, and denying evil a chance to control you.
My summer verse, Psalm 19:14, says, “May the words of my mouth and the
mediation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my
redeemer.” When Jesus confronted the religious zealots of his day, he
condemned them for their hypocrisy. “Blind Pharisee! First, clean the
inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.”
What Jesus meant by this was that righteousness covers thoughts,
feelings, and emotions, as well as actions.

Along with righteous living, putting God first is another
habit for spiritual growth. Matthew 6:33 commands, “Seek the Kingdom
of God above all else, and live righteously and he will give you
everything you need.” Putting God first in our lives is difficult.
Whatever encompasses a significant portion of your day, be it
academics, family, and work, it should not take precedence to God. A
healthy relationship with Christ enshrines and centers him in our
lives as a priority, our engine. God is not, and he shouldn’t be
treated as, an additional entity on a schedule. Instead, put him as
the focus, the core, and the heart of life.

The act of love, not romantic love, but love for our peers,
is a habit that goes along with putting God first. Showing the love of
Christ demonstrates the committed diligence of putting God first.
Christ’s love being shown tells those around you that he is the
passion of your life. Love is the greatest commandment decreed from
Christ. Our love, through actions and words, presents a message to
those around us that they and God are important. Serving the sick, the
weak, the healthy, the strong, and everyone is what Jesus told us to
do. All of the commandments given in the Old Testament are summarized
in just two commands, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and
greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor
as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two
commandments.”

Taking love a step further to build and foster relationships
is an additional habit of spiritual growth. At Houghton College, our Dean
of the Chapel, Michael Jordan, insists that we need to stop treating
others around us as obstacles; instead, we should treat our peers as
bridges, not impediments, to spiritual growth. Fostering relationships
is not an easy task. Social norms and barriers often prevent us from
learning more about others. We’re afraid of judgment, wrong
perceptions, and breaking social rules. Why be afraid to take a little
risk and be compassionate? Developing closer relationships could end up
giving a person life-long friendships, resulting in greater
possibilities for spiritual growth.

Supplementing relationship building, the habit of work helps
to grow us spiritually. Paul instructed the church in Thessalonica,
“For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘The one who
is unwilling to work shall not eat.’” People tend to believe that work
is mundane, a required task that kills the joy and adventure in life.
But, social scientist and president of the American Enterprise
Institute, Arthur Brooks, put that notion on its head. Through his
study and involvement with the Doe Fund in NYC, he quickly discovered
that former felons and homeless people were given the opportunity to
find greater happiness in life through work. Dallas is a great example
of this. For years, Dallas lived in the streets of Manhattan as a
person without a home. One day he discovered the Doe Fund, which
provided him with education, housing, and work. His job was to clean
the streets of Manhattan. Although many Americans would find his work
unsatisfying, he didn’t. He found joy in being greeted by regulars who
passed by him daily. In fact, he never found anything more enjoyable
in his life. It brought meaning to him. Work doesn’t have to be
thought of as dreadful. Who hasn’t felt good after a long work
session? Accomplishment races through your veins after a successful
project, paper, or task. Hard work resembles God’s majesty in creation, showing that we are made in his image.

The last habit I want to discuss is time management. How
could managing time be related to spiritual growth? For starters,
organizing your time will provide more time for God. I know in my life
I could be using my time more efficiently. If I was more efficient, I
could spend more time with God and read his word. Ephesians 5:15-17
says, “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as
wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then
do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
Taking multiple five-minute breaks during one homework assignment or
watching movies all day are improper uses of time. Wasting time
distracts us and prevents us from engaging in God’s word and seeking
him. Spiritual growth is multiplied when managing the use of time more
efficiently.

Through these seven habits, anyone could grow spiritually.
Manning compares spiritual habits to creativity. “Most artists will
tell you that creativity is something that must be
practiced—exercised, as it were, just like any muscle.” As creativity
needs to be practiced, so does spiritual growth. Many Christians fall
under the assumption of automatic growth due to salvation, but we must
practice spiritual maturity and growth regularly in order to grow.
Habits may be difficult to grasp, but they are habits, soon enough
they’ll be mindless.