Every day starts pretty much the same way for me: prayer, morning stretches, feed and play with Mulligan, coffee, read Bible, morning text, and so on. I find that my soul experiences a great deal of peace while performing these repeated activities. Daily routines bring a sense of comfort, the expected in a life filled with the unexpected. This is by divine design, of course, as routine and habits create lifestyles; healthy habits creating healthy lifestyles and unhealthy habits creating unhealthy ones. God clearly describes in His Word what habits and routines will result in a blessed life:
Joshua 1:8 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Hebrews 10:25 “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
Luke 6:38 “give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
These are just a few verses, but they give us an idea of what God considers as necessary ingredients for righteous living. Reading our Bibles, praying, living in gratitude, attending church, encouraging others and giving of ourselves for them are some of the commands we are given throughout the Bible that, when obeyed, result in a life which brings God glory, to our benefit. Yes, His commands are for OUR benefit.
Deuteronomy 5:33 “You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.”
Love for God motivates obedience to the commands found in His Word and this obedience results in blessing and peace. It is a “simple” formula and one that is 100% reliable. So, how do we learn to love the Lord as we ought to? The same way we grow to love anyone we have a relationship with; we get to know them by spending time with them, asking them questions, observing their behavior, and coming to love them uniquely. We get to know God, then, by reading His Word, praying, observing how He works both in our lives and in the lives of others. As we get to know Him, we undoubtedly grow to love Him, as He is perfect and there is nothing not to love about Him!
Deuteronomy 32:4 “The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He.”
Living righteously is all about obedience to God’s commands; properly choosing how we spend our time, what we think about, what we say, and what we do. You might be having a difficult time right now in making prayer and Bible reading a priority in your daily routine; if so, you undoubtedly are very frustrated about it. You may even be asking yourself questions like, “What is wrong with me? Do I even love God?” Well, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, here is one reason you struggle:
Galatians 5:17 “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”
We are in a constant battle with the temptation to sin, aka disobey God, but we are promised victory if we choose to rely on Him and His Word.
Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”
1 John 5:1-5 “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
Every day we are guaranteed to face frustration, temptation, sin in self and others, and even pain. Every day we are faithfully provided the power to overcome these challenges. Every day we must choose for or against God and His will for our lives, choosing His life or the death resulting from sin (Deuteronomy 30:20). Every day we have the opportunity to engage in healthy habits, creating a healthy lifestyle, or to be unhealthy. These are our choices; if we make the righteous ones, by His power, every day, we WILL find peace.
Isaiah 32:17 “And the effect of righteousness will be peace…”
So, let us make the righteous decision, determining to live how God commands us to, every day- starting today. Before you know it, healthy habits will create a healthy lifestyle and you will be all the more joyful because of it.
Love in Christ,
Monica Ledford