Holy Habits

In the sermon on the mount, Jesus said, "happy are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness.” I believe that Jesus intentionally used the language of hunger and thirst in this passage. Why? Can you think of anything more habitual than eating and hydrating? It's one of the few things that every human does every day. He is saying that we should crave the pursuit of God like we crave food and water. If you want to be happy, you need to stay hungry. In this lesson, we explore the sacred place where spiritual disciplines and routines meet — we call them Holy Habits.

Shortly after his 30th birthday, Jesus was just about to kick off His public ministry. He didn't start with business cards or a billboard. Instead, He planned a little retreat and vision quest. He was weak from fasting and exhausted from the harsh elements, so the enemy saw an opportunity. At His weakest, the Devil appeared to tempt Jesus with the sins of pride, idolatry, and...bread making. Yes, you heard that right. That's exactly what happened. Satan, the accuser, tempted Jesus to bake up a loaf of bread in the middle of the desert. Let's examine this passage to learn how we can overcome conflict, temptation, and accusation.

Our world is obsessed with fast, isn't it? Since our world wears busyness like a badge of honor, it's countercultural to slow down. There is power in pausing. We must learn to swim against the cultural current by slowing down. How do we experience slow moments in a culture that demands hustle? By embracing the spiritual discipline of meditation. Meditation helps us hear God’s voice despite the noise, slow down when life is speeding by, and connect with God despite all the commotion. When our culture demands hustle, God suggests stillness.

As we close our study on Holy Habits, I would like to invite you to commit to a life-changing experience that will deeply impact your body, soul, and mind. It may be the hardest habit on our list, but it's also particularly powerful. Let's examine a spiritual discipline called fasting.