It’s easy to talk myself into putting off the hard things. “I will eat clean starting tomorrow," "The weather looks better tomorrow for a walk. I’ll begin my exercise routine then," "Quiet time is best in the morning. I missed it today so tomorrow is a new day.” But over and over, tomorrow never comes.
God is convicting me how one baby step forward produces holy habits. For me, it started with making my bed each morning—a habit I indulged in for years until recently. Once I became aware of the imbalance in my life, I knew something needed to change. My first step was to make my bed—a routine that always set the tone for my day. It now turned into my first non-negotiable. God calls us to “Just do it." Overanalyzing and beating myself up when I don’t complete a task as perfectly as I want accomplishes nothing.
"So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps His word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching." -Hebrews 10:22-25 (MSG)
The message in Hebrews points us to the unchangeable nature of God. He
always keeps His word and promises. If we rest in this truth, we can extend ourselves grace just like God does when our holy habits are lacking on any day. But our desire to spend time each day with God in prayer, worship or silence is God-honoring. And this is what increases holy habits. If God is the center of my life, any time I make room for Him increases my holy habits. Daily routines are a huge piece to the puzzle of creating sacred space for me to sit with God. Holy habits are space makers, freedom growers, grace givers, and truth tellers.
Let's consider the one holy habit we can begin today. Name it and share it with someone close to you. Take the first step and watch all that God will do.
Mary Geisen
Mary Geisen is a lover of coffee and deep, soul-filled conversations. She is the mom of two married sons, a retired teacher, writer, author and seeker of grace in the ordinary. Several years ago, God called her to bravely step out by sharing her journey in written form. The power of God’s words has inspired her journey of healing and drawing closer to God through the power of grace. She continues to walk toward brave faith in her everyday life and encourages others to do the same.
