Seven Habits for Spiritual Formation

How about a few practical things that will almost automatically grow our relationship with Christ?

I get overwhelmed with information sometimes. Too much can easily lead to analysis paralysis. And sometimes, information overload provides an easy excuse to procrastinate.

When that happens, it's good for me to go back to the basics.

I remind myself of the core things. Those become anchors, and they provide clarity.

For example, when I research for a paper, I can gather so much information that I not only don’t know what I believe, but I also have no idea how to start communicating any of it. At that point, the old tried and true fundamental outline plows the path forward. I think Introduction, Main Thesis, Three (or so) Supporting Points with Explanation, and a nifty Conclusion. Now I can move ahead.

Or, if I read too much about weight training, I start doubting that anything is useful. Then someone reminds me of the core compound exercises (squat, deadlift, bench press, military press), focused arm exercises (bicep curls, tricep presses), and a simple series of weighted abs (cable crunch, captain’s chair leg raises, and air bicycles). I’m off to the races (or the basement gym).

What about spiritual growth? Are there core things to do?

Absolutely. Let’s make it simple.

If we do these seven things, we'll partner with God to train ourselves to become Christlike: worship, read the Bible, pray, tithe, connect in spiritual friendships, serve others in and outside the church, and introduce people to Jesus.

Those are the fabulous seven habits that transform our character and conduct. We can add more (like fasting, solitude, and silence), but these seven are foundational.

When we train with these practices, let's remember a few things.

One, God isn't impressed with our efforts. He won't love us more for doing them or less when we skip them. His ravishing love is consistent and not based on our performance.

Two, stay connected to Christ. Spiritual practices are tools to partner with Christ and the Spirit to transform and ground us. Jesus said we must remain attached to him by our mutual love and joy, or we won't be able to do anything significant (John 15:5). Focus on him and let the practices guide us to intimacy with Christ.

Here's a brief definition of each of the seven practices and a hint as to how to do them:

1. Worship. At its core, worship is our appropriate response to God’s revelation of who he is and what he's done. We find a great pattern of worship in Isaiah 6. Gather weekly in a good church with other believers to consider truth from the Bible and engage God with love and listening through singing, praying, writing, being silent, or whatever activity works. Worship opens our hearts and re-focuses our lives. It ends with a clear commitment to our next steps.

2. Read Our Bible. It’s best to read the Bible systematically, which means we start today where we ended yesterday. That helps us stay true to the context and not draw out bogus spiritualized meanings. Do two things: (1) learn about God and his ways, and (2) listen for God’s voice. Review Psalm 1 for motivation.

3. Pray. Prayer is how we talk to God. He often talks to us through our Bible, and he sometimes speaks in a quiet nudge as we pray (Hebrews 4:12). We'll learn to hear him as we journey with him (John 14:26; 10:27). We start our prayers with whatever God has been talking to us about in our Bible reading, and then we let him know how much we love him and are grateful to him. Finally, we let him know our concerns and needs. The Lord’s Prayer is a good pattern (Matthew 6:9-13).

   • Praise: Express our love to God (vs. 9).

   • Purpose: Commit to do God's will whenever he reveals it (vs. 10).

   • Provision: Ask God to care for our needs (vs. 11).

   • Pardon: Confess our sins and ask God's forgiveness (vs. 12a).

   • People: Pray for the needs of other people for whom we care (vs. 12b).

   • Protection: Ask God to empower us to overcome temptation (vs. 13).

4. Tithe. Don’t get hung up on that word. It’s not a church word; it’s a training word. It means 10%, and it's about our money. God asks us to be generous. When we give at least the first 10% of our income away, it trains us in all sorts of great things, such as increasing our dependence on and gratitude to God for providing, freeing us from materialism, and resourcing those around us in need. It mostly trains us to trust God (Malachi 3:8-12; 2 Corinthians 9:7). Giving our regular tithe to our local church seems best.

5. Spiritual Friendships. Iron does indeed sharpen iron (Proverbs 17:17), but even softer things like brownies and ice cream are better together. We grow best in relationships. God never intends for anyone to be a Lone Ranger Christian. We need to find a few people with whom we share chemistry and start sharing our lives too. Give each other a push and pull. Provide safety and sharpening, helping each other hear Christ and follow him. Above all, love and be loved.

6. Serve Others. It’s been God’s plan from the beginning for his people to be blessed to be a blessing. We do that through service or ministry (Genesis 12:3; Ephesians 2:10). When Jesus picked one issue to reveal the truly saved, he picked poverty. He said true Christians will care for the poor and marginalized (Matthew 25:31-46). The world has many needs, and no one can impact all of them. But we are each able to impact some of them. We should serve with our gifts and bless others with our kindness.

7. Share Jesus. The other way God’s people bless all people is by introducing people to Jesus. Jesus is the world's King, providing help and hope to everyone. But they must know about him before they can know him. It's our job to share him with receptive people (Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:14; Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19-20). Because of our love for people, we can use all our persuasive skills to get people to consider the gospel and respond by receiving salvation. It seems best to be transformed so our lives become attractive and our conversations overflow with permission and kindness (1 Peter 3:15-16)

There they are, the fabulous seven. We'll benefit greatly if we'll make them habits.

These seven spiritual habits are fairly simple to fit into our lives.

Here's a framework

• Worship weekly.

• Read our Bible and pray daily (start with just 15 minutes).

• Tithe with every paycheck.

• Connect in spiritual friendships regularly but not rigidly.

• And serve others and share Jesus spontaneously as opportunities come.

Get ready. These practices will grow us better than a cup of broccoli.