Instead of saying our prayers, why not write them out? Or paint our petitions? Or create a collage of our dreams, asking God to bring them to fruition? The habit of creativity involves following hard after God outside of the box of how we might have done things in the past. Is it no surprise that we connect with God in different ways?īut we’ve settled ourselves into prescribed rhythms, staid “quiet times,” and rote prayers, forgetting that we bear the marks of our Creator. We follow a wildly creative God who makes amazing animals, wide open skies, the scent of roses, and you and me. This is not an easy habit to cultivate, but it helps us become more patient. We serve a God who discerns and understands our secrets. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name” ( Isaiah 45:3, NLT). “I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness - secret riches. I especially appreciate what God does when we feel like no one understands us or that our pain is too big. He shelters us from other people’s harsh words ( Psalm 31:2).He entrusts His secrets to us when we revere Him ( Psalm 25:14).He asks us to pray and give in secret ( Matthew 6:3-6).In my foray through the Bible, I found a treasure of verses: When we discipline ourselves to live for His fame and not our own, we find great joy in obeying Him, no matter how insignificant the task. True growth comes in undecorated obedience to Jesus - in realizing that He alone gives life and worth, and hope. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life” ( John 5:35-40). Jesus told the Pharisees an alarming statement, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. We can know a bunch of theological mandates and be well-versed in Scripture, yet miss Jesus. How we obey during the small things determines the trajectory of our growth. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities” ( Luke 16:10, NLT). Yet Jesus tells us, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. Spectacular is what we chase, and in that pursuit, the mundane slips into the background. We live in a gigantic culture, always trying to one-up each other, going bigger and better. These seven habits are not your typical ones, and you may be surprised how refreshing and rejuvenating they’ll become in your daily life. But habits? That sounds accomplishable.Īs I look back at the times I grew the most, I realize that I grew during times of surprising spiritual habits. This used to stress me out because the word discipline doesn’t sound winsome, fun, or creative. If we want to grow, we must water our spiritual life with disciplines. I’ve heard it said that the grass isn’t greener in your friend’s yard it’s greener where you water it.
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