6 Positive Habits That Keep You Spiritually Healthy! Pt. 1

How do you grow spiritually?  Depending upon your background you may answer that questions using different words than what I’m about to.  But, the basics of growing spiritually haven’t changed since the beginning of time, when a relationship with God was the most important thing (see Adam and Eve in the Garden with God).  Yet ever since that fateful day when our grandparents rejected God we’ve been trying to create some type of system to get us back closer to Him, and often it’s on our terms.  We create religious systems that are, at best, flawed/cheap imitations of what God has truly intended.

Instead of trying to get you to do a particular thing(s) that fit a particular religious system, let’s just go back to what God has highlighted in His word as important stuff for us.  God doesn’t tend to waste his breath or talk just to hear Himself, so when God speaks our ears should perk up and take note.  My hope is that you can begin to build these habits into your life and move towards spiritual health, because that which is healthy…grows!

Bible Reading/Study

This particular habit is probably the least utilized, even though it may be the most important since it flows into our understanding of all the others.  Now, I’m not going to tell you that you need to get up at the ‘butt-crack of dawn’ and scour the Scriptures for the theological equivalent of a needle in a haystack!  But, it is absolutely essential to your spiritual health that you are listening to God.  The Bible refers to itself as the “Word of God”, let’s put that in a way we can grasp, “God’s words recorded for us, to give us direction, hope, and comfort for our everyday life”.  Often, Bible reading/study can feel like homework, but what it should be and should be viewed as is simply an opportunity for us to hear from and receive wisdom from the greatest source in all of the universe.

When I was a younger pastor, I often thought how helpful and informative it would be to be able to spend an hour with some of the great pastors of the previous generation and gain wisdom from them.  I even went so far as to try to get some time with some very well known men at my own expense.  Unfortunately, rarely did it pan out, and when it did I was often disappointed.  Yet, the greatest source of leadership teaching, wisdom, and coaching sat just inches from my hand on my desk.  It wasn’t that I didn’t read or study my Bible, but I saw it as one dimensional, spiritual, nothing more, nothing less.  But then I re-read a passage of Scripture that I’d read a hundred times before:

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT

Do you see it, “…every good work…”.  The Bible isn’t just a ‘spiritual manual’ it’s a Life Manual.  When you read it God is filling you with wisdom for living life.  The God who created and sustains all life is literally giving you the secrets to living a life of significance!  And, unlike all of those self-appointed gurus it’s not ‘3 easy payments of $19.99’ it’s free, readily accessible, and without any type of limitations.

So, how about you and I today spend a little time listening to God?  Grab your Bible, open it up, and just read, you never know what you might be inspired, challenged, equipped, taught, lead, encouraged to do until you start to listen to the ONE whose hand is guiding it all!

Dave

Next post: Prayer