Before I get into this piece, I want to place a disclaimer: God’s grace in our lives is not from anything we do; God’s timing and sovereignty are beyond human understanding.
Ephesians 2:8-10 makes it clear…
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
As Christians, whose hearts have been turned from stone to flesh (Ezekiel 36:26) and placed into the process of sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3), we should be building up our relationship with Christ – wanting to draw closer to Him each day. God is in ultimate control of our lives but there are daily and weekly habits that we as followers should be prioritizing throughout our walk with Christ.
reading our bible
This seems obvious; it is God’s infallible guide to our lives. Yet without building up the habit and hunger for it, we may put it in the backseat. The Bible not only provides wisdom into the overall life of a Christian, but it also gives us daily, hourly, down-to-the-minute revelations on how we should behave and view the world.
going to church
Church is where we get to dive into a deeper understanding of the Word, being shepherd by the pastor and elders. Skipping out on church means missing new understandings of the Bible from a trained teacher.
fellowshipping
We are influenced by those we spend time with, so it’s no question that Christians need to fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ. Not only that, but we should want to spend time with other believers. The excitement of talking about God, Christianity, and the Bible with others who believe gives us perseverance and joy. And fellowshipping means we are growing close with those we will spend eternity with – what Christian doesn’t want that?
praying
Prayer gives us the gift of communicating with the Most High through the Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 states: “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” We should be talking with God throughout our day, always giving thanks for the blessings He’s given us. When we fall into temptation, prayer should be our first response. When fear, anxiety, or worry strikes us – we can combat it by calling out to the Almighty to save us from our troubles.
molding ourselves to God’s standards
Do the words that come out of our mouths, the way we treat others, the entertainment and media we consume and the lifestyles we live reflect Christ? Being a Christian is more than just attending church and reading the Bible, our lives should bear the fruit of Christ. Does this mean we need to be perfect? Of course not; that’s impossible for fallen beings. But we should strive to be by putting our full effort into embodying the image of Christ, even though we know we will fall short and need to repent of any transgressions.
Final Thoughts…
Being a Christian is no easy task. We have to reject what the world stands for and go against the current. Every day there will be struggles, falling short, and a need to repent, but we have the maker of the galaxies on our side, and He loves you so much. 1 John 4:9, “By this the love of God was revealed in us, that God has sent His only Son into the world so that we may live through Him.”