Over the past few years, I have had the pleasure of learning more about God and the Christian walk. This journey has taught me many things that are good and bad. From the beginning I knew that if I overloaded myself with information, I would not get anything accomplished or stick to anything. I knew that in order to become a better man, I had to break my old habits.
The breaking of my old habits was the beginning of my journey with Christ. Where did you start out with Christ? From there it went to desire and influence. A new follower in Christ must break from their old, worldly ways and follow Him. Here are a few tips and ideas that I have learned over the years to make the process go easier. You can share yours in the comments section below.
A) Don’t Overload!
I’m going to buy a devotional, a Bible and a study guide. I’m going to stop listening to all secular music and go to Church three times a week (all of this, all at once!). Now, don’t get me wrong, if you can pull all of this off; more power to you. In my experience though, it is best to start with a couple items and move your way up.
For me, it was reading a chapter of Proverbs and praying for 15 minutes in the morning. The afternoon would require a shorter prayer and quality time with my wife and/ or kids. I also read the book “Wild at Heart” on my lunch breaks. The idea is to not overload yourself or overwhelm yourself; but to form new habits as you break your old ones. Do one page of your devotional a day. Say a prayer in the morning and at night. Be intentional about whatever it is.
B) Stay Organized!
Once you have chosen a couple things to start doing in your new walk. Stay organized and stay with it. Wake up one hour early every morning. Set aside thirty minutes for prayer every night. Turn off the TV on two specific nights a week and do a devotional with yourself or with your wife. You can make this change easier by setting reminders on your smart phone or hanging notes by your bed or around the house. There are many ways to do it, as long as you’re doing it! Pick that one book and finish it before you start another one. Stay organized!
C) Set Goals!
Now that you know what your going to do and you have an organized plan to attack it, be ready for whats next. By the time I’m getting to the end of a book, I am figuring out what I want to do next. Do I plan to read it again? Is there a second book in the series? Pray and have God help you figure out what to do next, because He will help! After about 30 days, the new habits will be well into your system. You can increase your payload or keep it consistent with your current level. The goal is to just keep going!
D) Let’s hear what you have to say!
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