by David Brenneman
Habits handle the small stuff. They're automatic actions triggered by context: think flossing your teeth or grabbing keys on the way out. Practices handle the hard stuff. They are deliberate, effortful actions that require attention and judgment: working out, managing a team, writing a book, learning Spanish.
A habit is an automatic, unconscious action triggered by a cue, like brushing your teeth. A practice is a deliberate, mindful activity requiring continuous focus and a goal to improve, like playing an instrument or writing.
Key Differences Mindset: Habits run on autopilot with little thought; practices need active attention, judgment, and choice.
Effort: Habits save brain energy for simple tasks; practices demand ongoing willpower and energy. Growth: Habits maintain a routine; practices aim to build skill, depth, or mastery over time.
Triggers: Habits happen because of a specific context or prompt; practices happen because of a personal choice or commitment. Examples of both, Habits: Locking the door, putting on a seatbelt, or taking daily vitamins.
Practices: Learning a new language, meditating with awareness, or training for a sport.
"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:8-9.
How intentional are you in living out your life in Christ? How often do you "practice what you preach"? How often are you really intentional on taking up your own cross and following Jesus?
Are your practices aligned with growing in Christ? Or are the things you're intentional about doing nothing to aligned your life with the will of God for you, which is your sanctification?
I can hear some of your excuses now, for I had the same thoughts roll off my tongue as well.
May I remind you of the very words of Jesus Christ Himself?
"Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Matthew 16:24-26.
"And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Mark 8:34-37.
"And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?" Luke 9:23-25.
So here we have a point made by our Savior and Lord that's intentionally repeated three times in the Gospels.
If we're living out in practice what Jesus said for us to be doing, there should be viable evidence to support it.
I began in January of 2025 to set a practice of intentional time studying God's Word in the evenings. This I highly recommend if indeed your desire really is to grow in Christ as His will is for you. This will involve more than you think. Shut off the radio, the podcasts, the streaming videos, the television, your phone on silence. Remove distractions from this intentional time with the Spirit of God. Essentially treat this time as Holy unto the Lord. I allow only 2 people to be able to interrupt this time with Jesus in the Spirit. Outside of these...the rest of the world can wait.
As part of this practice, which as we've defined isn't merely a habit, I keep a notepad and pen for stray thoughts and ideas to be addressed later.
It's been well over a year and to be honest, I can't imagine a day without meeting Jesus in this way. Additionally, this is in addition to my practice of intentional time in the morning, both before work and on weekends before anything that happens then in order to write about whatever God brings to mind to write about for the blog.
God's blessed these practices because they indeed are the will of God for me in Christ Jesus. Just as they will be for you in Christ Jesus.
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full." John 15:1-11.
Think about it. The parable of the talents. You are meant to not just survive this physical life but to thrive in Christ. You are meant to shine, not merely glow in Christ. You can't conceive in your wildest imagination what He's prepared for you when you're all-in with your daily practice of meeting with Jesus every day. I had other blogs before this one. The only entry of one that had any traction in views was my personal testimony concerning coming to Christ for salvation. Now that caught my attention. Then Jesus revealed to me what you read in the header information of this blog. He would give me things to write and it was upon me to do it. The viewership of this blog has passed 2 million views. That's God's work in bringing people here to find what He's given me to write in His Name. That's beyond my imagination.
You can't know what will honor Him by your commitment to having a dedicated practice of meeting with Him every day and shutting out the world. Jesus often got up early to leave the world around Him to go be with His Father. Jesus taught the Disciples to have the practice of following Him with their everything.
Turn your on again off again habit into a dedicated practice of meeting with Jesus. I promise you, my Dear Reader, that He will meet you there every single time.
Unlock your potential in Christ by allowing the Spirit of God to grow you in Christ.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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