If these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful . . . —2 Peter 1:8
When we first begin to form a habit, we are fully aware of it. There are times when we are aware of becoming virtuous and godly, but this awareness should only be a stage we quickly pass through as we grow spiritually. If we stop at this stage, we will develop a sense of spiritual pride. The right thing to do with godly habits is to immerse them in the life of the Lord until they become such a spontaneous expression of our lives that we are no longer aware of them. Our spiritual life continually causes us to focus our attention inwardly for the determined purpose of self-examination, because each of us has some qualities we have not yet added to our lives.
Your god may be your little Christian habit— the habit of prayer or Bible reading at certain times of your day. Watch how your Father will upset your schedule if you begin to worship your habit instead of what the habit symbolizes. We say, “I can’t do that right now; this is my time alone with God.” No, this is your time alone with your habit. There is a quality that is still lacking in you. Identify your shortcoming and then look for opportunities to work into your life that missing quality.
Love means that there are no visible habits— that your habits are so immersed in the Lord that you practice them without realizing it. If you are consciously aware of your own holiness, you place limitations on yourself from doing certain things— things God is not restricting you from at all. This means there is a missing quality that needs to be added to your life. The only supernatural life is the life the Lord Jesus lived, and He was at home with God anywhere. Is there someplace where you are not at home with God? Then allow God to work through whatever that particular circumstance may be until you increase in Him, adding His qualities. Your life will then become the simple life of a child.
Journal DJR
May 12, 2011, Good Morning, Lord
The idea of moving past habits sounds good, especially in context of the end of the worship music today … But scary at the same time. Because the habits have been the things that have kept me at least as connected to you as I am. I’m afraid I would just wander off and go my own way without the habits to help me keep on track. I’m speaking of the good habits … of course the not so good ones, I’ll take all the help I can get in getting rid of those.
A good habit like observing the Sabbath as I suggested to all my children seems so good and godly … or CO2 … But even those can become worshipped. Consider the Pharisees and the fundamentalists of all religeons … they have elevated their habit above the relationships both vertical and horizontal and therefore violate both
Got it. So you’re not saying to skip the Sabbath or CO2 or working out or …. Just to keep them in their proper place.
Yes, As long as the habits are serving to promote our connection, they are good and may continue. Keep them until you can step up higher. That means following me thru connection, like John mentioned in 5:19
(Message) 19-20So Jesus explained himself at length. “I’m telling you this straight. The Son can’t independently do a thing, only what he sees the Father doing. What the Father does, the Son does. The Father loves the Son and includes him in everything he is doing.
(NLT) 19 So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.
Then, with that tight a connection, all things that are essential will get done. Dont worry about it. When we’re that tight, you dont need a habit. Remember you are to worship the Father, not the habit of however you previously found the Father. The difference may seem subtle but it makes all the difference. It takes practice, but focusing on connection, combined with instant obedience is the key to this. Keep on coming.
Click Image for John White's Original Vision For CO2's
