Tag Archive for: goals

How to Switch on Spiritual Habits

Many Christians with great intentions set goals for starting new spiritual habits, such as reading through the Bible, having a regular prayer time, or developing faith conversation skills. But real life often waylays our plans, dumping a bag load of discouragement on our backs that makes it hard to stand up and try again.

Bibles and pens for spiritual habits

Set up ahead of time materials needed for spiritual habits

I’ve been scribbling to-do lists since junior high, and while I’ve regularly studied the Bible and prayed for years, in other areas I haven’t fared as well (for instance, memorizing Scripture and doing sit-ups—yeah, the last one’s not spiritual, but still…). So I was intrigued when a friend gave me the bestselling book, Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard,by brothers Chip Heath and Dan Heath. Chip teaches business at Stanford and Dan is a senior fellow at Duke.

The book is packed with insights on making and reaching goals, many of which are helpful for spiritual habits. The first chapter, “Three Surprises About Change,” surprises indeed. College students who nibbled radishes while resisting freshly baked chocolate chip cookies later mustered only eight minutes of trying to solve an unsolvable puzzle, while others who downed cookies and chocolate candies while resisting radishes strove nineteen minutes on the puzzle. This, they say, shows self-control is an exhaustible resource (p. 10).

Right there I thought, how many times have I tried to add four new habits at the same time, thereby letting overreaching defeat me? It’s like trying to set four plates spinning at once.

The authors say that when we’re creating change, we need to address three areas: intellect, emotions, and environment. They portray the intellect as a rider on top of an elephant (the emotions) which is walking down a path (the environment). With engaging stories, they explain how to direct the rider, motivate the elephant, and shape the path for successful change.

Yes, it’s a secular project management/business book, but I found most of the principles in Scripture. I’ll show here how to apply the book’s methods to forming spiritual habits and I’ll tack on supporting verses.

Direct the Rider

The rider (the intellect) makes great plans, but is prone to over-analyzing and wheel-spinning, especially when there are too many options. Directing the rider involves playing to its strengths while avoiding its weaknesses.

The book, "Switch," can help with forming spiritual habits

“Switch” offers tips that apply to forming spiritual habits

Find the Bright Spots. Find people who are succeeding in what you want to do and imitate them. If you’re just starting out in regular devotions, ask around until you find a few people you like who’ve got this down and ask them how they do it. Hint: They’ll probably all say they set aside a specific time of day when they’re at their best.

 “… keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us” Philippians 3:17

 Script the Critical Moves.Figure out the essentials and make a specific but simple plan, such as “I will purchase the Bible version my pastor recommends and I will read through the New Testament five days a week.”

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty” Proverb 21:5

Point to the Destination.Know where you’re going and why you want to get there. Perhaps your goal is to read through the New Testament so you’ll know God better.

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” Philippians 3:14

Motivate the Elephant

The elephant (the emotions) is bigger than the rider and eventually gets its way when the two disagree. So it’s important to motivate the elephant.

Find the Feeling.What might spark your emotions? When I read a new Bible version, I mark the individual books I’ve finished in the table of contents with a symbol. In one Bible I used daisies because they symbolize celebration and something grown to completion. Just looking at the contents page makes me smile.

“So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot…” Ecclesiastes 3:22

Shrink the Change.Plan manageable steps to prevent demoralization. For instance, if you’re reading your Bible for the first time, plan ten minutes per day for five days per week, not an hour a day for seven days per week. Read the short Bible books first so the marks on your contents page fill up quickly while you’re getting started.

“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” Luke 14:28

Grow.Cultivate an identity of who you are: “I’m a child of God getting to know God’s words.” Realize there will be ups and downs, and that’s okay.

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13

Shape the Path

Shape the path (the environment) to help the rider and elephant keep traveling down it. Just as a dieter could toss all the junk food and fill the refrigerator with carrots and broccoli so that when her stomach growled, her eyes would see only healthy choices, so we can shape the path towards devotionals.

Many churches start new Bible studies in September and January. Check now to see what your church may be offering!

Tweak the Environment.Choose a comfortable chair near good lighting that will be your regular spot. Place your Bible and a pen nearby. Turn off your cell phone.

“Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure” Proverb 4:26

Build Habits.Action triggers triple your chances of success. An action trigger can be as simple as planning what time you’ll do what and where. Attaching a new habit to an established habit is even better. For instance, when I decided to make my main prayer time separate from my Bible reading time, I set it to follow an established habit: lunch!

“On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper …” 1 Corinthians 16:2

Rally the Herd.Get family members or a friend to do this with you. Join a Bible study group—the accountability there is a great motivator.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

I hope these nine tips for forming spiritual habits inspire you on your spiritual journey.

Which of these have you found helpful for forming spiritual habits?

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Rewards in Heaven? Count Me In!

Today I have a guest post from Lori Morrow, one of Clay’s students at Biola University. In an on-line class discussion she posted such an exuberant explanation of how two verses about rewards in heaven changed her life that I wanted to share it with all of you. She writes about what we have to look forward to at the judgment seat (Greek bêma) of Christ when Jesus evaluates our works in order to reward us:

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” ~2 Corinthians 5:10 (ESV)

By Lori Morrow of Midland, Texas

Rewards in heaven

“A Life God Rewards”

A few years ago I read a book that turned my life around: A Life God Rewards: Why Everything You Do Today Matters Forever. It’s a short, easy read about the bema seat and what happens for Christians at the judgment. There is lots of good information in that little book, but here are two verses it talked about and what they’ve done for me.

God Will Praise Us

“So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.” ~ 1 Corinthians 4:5 (NLT)

First, I’ve never had a better motive for purifying my heart than knowing it was going to be on display for the entire world to see: my dad (who’s already there), my mom, my eighth grade algebra teacher. Ugh. So I cut my losses and began to allow Jesus entrance to every part of my emotions so that this moment would be as benign as possible.

Second, I admit it, I love praise. I’m a former Miss West Texas so the stage and the spotlight are not unwelcome to me. But the thing that really gets me is that God is going to praise us. He—the only one deserving of praise—is going to praise us for everything we’ve done that is praiseworthy. Well, sign me up! I no longer have to make a big deal out of myself because God is going to make a big deal for me. If I do even the smallest thing that He decides is praiseworthy, He’s going to praise me publicly, whether anyone else appreciates it or not. I can live with that.

Since reading that verse, my priority has become daily looking for every opportunity to do something that He will find praiseworthy. And I can’t wait!

God Will Reward Us

“But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.” ~1 Corinthians 3:13-15 (NLT)

For the first time, I realized that heavenly reward is biblical. God is going to reward what we do. Why would anyone want to pass that up? Heaven is forever. If God decides to give me a reward, I get to keep it forever. If He decides I don’t get one, then I lose it forever. If He’s willing to reward me, then I’m a fool to forfeit it because my forfeiture will be forever.

Therefore, heaven is going to be full of people celebrating God’s graciousness for eternally rewarding them for everything they were willing to do for His cause. He created life, He watched while we blew it, He offered us redemption, He gives us opportunities to live for Him, He empowers us to do the tasks He sets before us, and then He rewards us when we do them—forever! Evidence suggests He will give us tasks in our eternity that are commensurate with our effort on earth [Luke 19:12-26]. What a marvelous way to endure the momentary afflictions of this life, knowing that our great God is preparing a place of productivity and blessing for us in the eternal. Bring it on!

Live life big! Because eternity will be even bigger! Be intentional about your walk with Christ because every moment counts.

“Store your treasure in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” ~Matthew 6:20 (NLT)

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Make Room to Grow

Last spring I decided to grow lettuce because I was tired of tossing bags of limp leaves from the refrigerator when I was hoping to make a salad or sandwich wrap.

Young lettuce plants grow below amaryllis blooms

In April, young lettuce leaves peek from below amaryllis blooms

I knew I’d have to use clay pots near our house since rabbits would devour lettuce farther away, so I checked how many I could turn to that use. If I planted some with the arugula, gave up a pot of carrots, and mingled others with early blooming flowers, I’d have three pots—plenty!

So I headed to Plant Depot and bought a pony-pack each of romaine and red leaf lettuce. Back home, I planted the three pots, nestling red leaf lettuce among just sprouting amaryllises in one of them. I figured when the amaryllises finished blooming, the growing lettuce leaves would hide their fading leaves and within weeks take their place entirely.

All went well … for awhile.

Stunted lettuce heads grow among amaryllis bulbs

In May, lettuce growing among amaryllises hasn’t grown

But by mid-spring the lettuce tucked among the amaryllises was stunted and tough, while the other plants were round and tender.

That’s when it hit me. Amaryllises aren’t annuals—plants that completely die back after blooming. They’re bulbs, so even though what’s on the surface dies back, what’s under the soil multiplies. The lettuce roots had no room to grow and couldn’t produce good leaves.

Amused at my cluelessness, I thought, Isn’t this just like what happens when we try to add a new spiritual habit without making space for it?

After all, adding a spiritual habit doesn’t happen magically and usually requires us to give something up.

For example:

Several healthy lettuce heads grow in a clay pot

In May, romaine and red leaf lettuce grow happily in their own pot

  • Regularly spending time with God by reading the Bible and praying helps us know God and draw close to him (Joshua 1:8; Matthew 6:6; 2 Timothy 3:16). To make spending time with God a habit we might decide to give up one daily sitcom or fifteen minutes of Internet surfing. (After all, don’t we have time for what we really want to do?)
  • If I want to share the gospel better, I might memorize key verses (1 Peter 3:15). To accomplish this, I might spend ten minutes of every lunch break memorizing instead of relaxing with co-workers or a book.
  • If I’m a poor listener, perhaps I’ll spend a day listening to others and drawing them out, while giving up sharing my own stories and the advice that’s always at the tip of my tongue (James 1:19).
  • If I’m a worrier, I could commit to spending a day casting every care upon God with thanksgiving, while refusing to think about potential outcomes and solutions (Philippians 4:6-7).
  • If I decide to give more money to the poor or to missions, I’ll have less to spend on something else.

Nestling lettuce amongst amaryllises doesn’t work, so if you feel God tugging you to take on a spiritual habit of eternal value—make space for it.

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ~Luke 9:23

 

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Spicing Up Bible Reading

I constantly change the way I read my Bible to make it interesting as well as focused on what I think God wants to teach me at the moment. I create plans that ensure I’m reading the entire Bible regularly, but I use different methods that enable me to uncover more gems than I could with any one method. Since I seldom repeat something I’ve done before, I’m always challenged.

Here are some of my favorite tips for dynamite devotions.

1.     Expect insights.

Attitude is important, so I approach Bible study as a privilege, not a chore. It’s sitting down with the God of the universe to discover what he thinks is important for people to know. It’s a chance to know God better and to uncover how to be more Christ-like. I know God gladly gives wisdom to those who seek it from him, so I begin by praying over what I should read and asking God to show me what he wants me to know. Over the years, so many blessings and insights have come through reading God’s words that I eagerly anticipate what he’s got for me.

2.     Seek quality.

Quality is more important than quantity. I don’t try to read the Bible through in a year. I set aside time each day and feel free to slow down my reading whenever I want to meditate deeply on a passage or look up cross-references. I might spend days unpacking a single verse like 2 Peter 1:5. If I’m reading a section with a lot of lists, I may read a few chapters, and then finish up with a Psalm.

3.     Mark the TOC.

Although I’ve read the Bible straight through a number of times, I usually don’t. Instead, I choose a study method for the next read-through (for example, reading all the books of the Bible with all their commentary notes in a particular study Bible). When I complete a book using that method, I put a symbol next to its name in the table of contents. This lets me go in any order and allows me to vary what I’m doing without losing my place.

4.     Intersperse memory refreshers.

My memory fuzzes quickly, so every few months I break from in-depth study and interject quick refreshers. For instance, I’ll quickly read through Paul’s letters or an Old Testament prophet before returning to whatever more in-depth study I’m doing.

Illuminated "L" in Genesis Bible Reading

Wenceslas Bible, 1389, from freechristimages.org

5.     Read a gospel every Easter.

I began this tradition many years ago and love it. Two or three weeks before Easter, I begin reading a gospel, timing it so that I finish the gospel on Easter Sunday. It prepares my heart for Resurrection Day and fixes Jesus’ sacrifice in my mind.

6.     Change views.

I like to alter my approach to individual books, especially my favorites. For example, I’ve read the book of Job many times in many ways. Once I made extensive notes on “How Not to be a Job’s Comforter.” Another time I analyzed each of his friends’ arguments for underlying beliefs. Since God said three of Job’s friends misspoke, in another study I listed their mistakes. Still another time I observed the flow of Job’s tumbling thoughts as he sought to make sense of hardship at a time when there was little written revelation, comparing them to my own thoughts when I’m searching for answers in a confusing time.

7.     Get historical.

Often I’ll pick a time period and read all the Bible books concerning that time period in semi-chronological order. This historical perspective aids understanding immensely, especially for the prophetic books. Once I read all the books written during the Persian Empire while reading a history of Persia. Reading Paul’s journeys in Acts chronologically with his letters is insightful! Both chronological and study Bibles are big helps in putting together chronologies while Bible reading.

8.     Ask questions.

As I read, I ask many questions. I try to uncover what’s important in the passage and what it should mean for my life. I look for themes. Additionally, I ask why it was important that what I am reading be in the Bible and what it tells me about God. When I read the Old Testament, I consider what New Testament passages relate to it; and when I read the New Testament, I ponder what Old Testament stories illustrate it. But most important, I ask what’s the most important lesson I should apply to my life today and how can I make it happen.

9.     Research topics.

Asking questions often peaks my curiosity enough that I want to study a topic that’s mentioned in lots of places in the Bible, like heaven. Though I often study just what the Bible says about a topic, sometimes I investigate further; for example, when considering Bible references to yeast, I checked out a library book on yeast. Often, noticing a lack in my life will lead to studying how to meet it. For instance, in high school a friend told me I lacked tact; I didn’t know what the word meant, but when I found out, I decided to see what the Bible had to say (lots, by the way). More recently, I compared and contrasted the apostles’ methods for sharing the gospel with different audiences. Both Bible software and a good Bible concordance help greatly with topical studies.

10.   Illustrate.

Visualizing greatly increases understanding. Study Bibles and commentaries often have charts. If I can’t find a chart for something I’m curious about, I make one. For instance, I’ve charted out all the kings’ relationships with God, their dynasties, and how they died (did you know nine of the northern kingdom’s twenty kings were assassinated?). I often create timelines so I can see how events relate or which descendants a patriarch likely knew. I sketch scenes to bring details to life. The archaeological photographs found in illustrated commentaries and encyclopedias help immensely; so do detailed maps.

***

There you have it: ten tips for making personal Bible study tantalizing.

So what are some of your favorite tips?

Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. 2 Timothy 2:7

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Don’t Let Intimidation Stop You

Intimidation is a hummingbird's way

Hummingbird sticks out tongue

Have you ever embarked on what you thought might be a way to help others, but as soon as you told people about it, became intimidated? I have. In fact, just last year I joined a newly formed writers’ group and shared my plans for books to encourage Christians and strengthen faith. Though I’d published before, as soon as I heard about the others’ awards won, books published, and numerous articles written, I thought, Who am I fooling? I should quit now!

I didn’t quit, however, as I soon realized I was merely intimidated. A friend mentioned it’s not just fears of inadequacy that feed intimidation: it’s often a spiritual battle. Indeed, the Bible tells us we are battling “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph 6:12), so it makes sense there will be a spiritual battle when what’s at stake is spiritually strengthening others.

The Old Testament book of Nehemiah tells how the Israelites’ enemies tried to intimidate Nehemiah to stop him from helping others.

Nehemiah wanted to rebuild Jerusalem’s fallen walls so its people would be protected from plunderers. He discussed his plans with the king, who not only approved his plans but appointed him Judah’s governor. Nehemiah finished arranging everything that could be done before he headed out to his new post.

However, when he arrived at Jerusalem with army officers and letters from the king, he discovered right away that the Israelites’ enemies “were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites” (Neh. 2:10).

What did Nehemiah do? He didn’t try to win them over: these enemies opposed his goals. Neither did he ask the people he would govern what they thought he should do. Instead, under night’s cover, he examined the ruins with a few trusted men. He told no one there what he was up to until he knew exactly what needed to be done and how. That prevented naysayers from killing the project before it even started with “That’ll never work,” “You’ll never convince so-and-so,” and “You don’t know what we’re up against.”

Then Nehemiah called the people together and told them what he wanted to accomplish and why: “Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace” (Neh. 2:17). He rallied their hopes by sharing how God’s hand had been with him so far. They responded, “Let’s do it!”

But as soon as the work began, the enemies mocked and ridiculed Nehemiah and the workers, saying “What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” (Neh. 2:19).

They were trying to intimidate the Israelites by claiming they were incompetent and threatening trouble if they kept going.

But Nehemiah recognized those words came from enemies who wanted to plunder Jerusalem. He stayed focused on the goal and replied, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem” (Neh. 2:20).

Like Nehemiah, I’d seen needs and I’d fasted, prayed, and planned. Doors opened. I made more detailed plans.

And when I got together with others so we could rally each other on, mocking thoughts besieged me.

Hmm. My situation sounded a lot like Nehemiah’s.

So I recognized the ridicule’s source, focused on the goal, told myself God would make successful whatever He wanted me to do, and got writing.

Which was the right thing to do.

 If you’ve become intimidated after telling others a goal, how have you battled it?

“But when [our enemies] heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. ‘What is this you are doing?’ they asked. ‘Are you rebelling against the king?’ I answered them by saying, ‘The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.” ~Nehemiah 2:19-20

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