Have you ever wondered why it’s so hard to be spiritually consistent?
If you have, in one sense, that’s a good thing because it demonstrates that you are in touch with God’s call for us to seek him every day and grow spiritually.
That growth is important to God because spiritual maturity is BEING LIKE CHRIST!
Ok…fair enough. That is easy to understand on its face. But it is not easy and by means automatic. It is a PROCESS that takes DISCIPLINE.
“Take the time and the trouble to keep yourself spiritually fit.” 1 Timothy 4:7
Mature believers are called disciples.
I cannot be a disciple without being disciplined.
The more disciplined I am, the more God can use me.
The mark of a disciple is CROSS-BEARING–doing whatever it takes to give Christ first place in my life.
IT’S ALL ABOUT HABITS
We become a disciple by developing disciple habits:
- GOD’S WORD
- PRAYER
- TITHING
- FELLOWSHIP
It takes several weeks to become familiar with a new task and a similar amount of time before it becomes an entrenched habit.
We all know that bad habits are hard to break; we need to be reminded that good habits are hard to start!
Here are three steps that have given me the discipline necessary to develop spiritual habits that connect me to God every day:
- Spiritual consistency is our responsibility.
- Commit to the habits of a disciple.
- Don’t panic when you miss your daily connection with God!
STEP ONE: Spiritual consistency is our responsibility.
It is clear that we are called to be spiritual consistent. The problem is that we’re wired and predisposed to be inconsistent.
Nobody said this was going to be easy! But the reality is clear–it’s our responsibility to be consistent.
It’s important that we get this right because the dangers of inconsistency are very real and ever present.
Lack of consistency leads to complacency…which leads to apathy…which leads to less passion for the goal.
If that progression continues, a vicious cycle starts spinning fast and takes us further and further away from God.
If we miss spending time with God for an extended period, we begin to drift away from him. What starts out as an insignificant reality of life—we will miss some days—eventually gains momentum and significance if not interrupted.
STEP TWO: Commit to the habits of a disciple.
Being consistent in our spiritual walk leads to spiritual maturity—Christ-likeness—and that’s what it means to be a disciple (which takes discipline).
“Take the time and the trouble to keep yourself spiritually fit.” 1 Timothy 4:7
Jesus derived his strength from the times he withdrew to pray and spend time alone with God.
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35
STEP THREE: Don’t panic when you miss your daily connection with God!
What if we miss a day? Wait. Not if . . . when we miss a day. When that happens to me, I simply toss aside any thoughts of guilt or legalism. And most of all, I don’t allow that slip to get me off the path. I right the ship as soon as possible.
