Examining Your Spiritual Habits

Examining Your Spiritual Habits

My mother in law had a habit of saying, "Oh, Jesus, I love You," at the oddest times, and in the strangest places.  I so clearly remember getting in an elevator at John Sealy Hospital in Galveston, on our way up to visit a friend.  As Mom leaned back against the elevator wall, she whispered this phrase I had heard her say so many times before, and you know what?  Now I say it.  What a great habit to have picked up from a great lady.

As I read today's devotion, I realized, what the author was speaking of, is exactly what Mom had done.  Saying, "Jesus, I love You" was so deeply ingrained into her being, that it was no longer a habit, it was now a part of who she was.  Mom was truly, deeply in love with Jesus, and just speaking His Name, brought her into His Presence.

“For if these things (habits) are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful.”
2 Peter 1:8

The things, (habits) that Peter is speaking of in this verse, are all the things listed in the preceding Verse 7.

Diligence, Faith, Virtue, Knowledge, Self Control, Patience, Godliness, Brotherly kindness, and Love. . .

Just clicking on the link above is such a Bible Study that it would take all day just to go into it all, but as the author states, and as I believe, there is a necessary contribution that each of us must make towards our salvation.

My prayer today is that a hunger for the things of God will consume each one reading this, and the habits we develop, from this day forward, will be pleasing in His sight.

Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts with you. . .

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Work out your Salvation

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Philippians 2:12

Being a Christian does not happen automatically, just as being fit and healthy does not happen automatically.  You must work out.  


Yes, you are born innocent and pure, but now after years of feeding your mind, after years of daily survival, you must learn a brand new way of living, a brand new way of being.  Just as you decide to work out your body each day, to become more healthy, so must you determine to work out your spiritual mind, to grow daily in Christ.


Set aside a few moments daily for a devotion, a simple devotion that is meaningful to you.  Have a daily devotion such as My Utmost for His Highest  emailed to your inbox each morning.


Before I had a daily devotion emailed to me, I carried a book with a years worth of devotions in my vehicle.  You know, one of those calendar style books, that has a reading for each day.  Each morning, before I got out of my vehicle at work, I would read my devotional, and say a few words of prayer asking the Lord to help me be more like Him, and asking that I would find a way to apply the words I had read to my life.


Although I had attended church my entire life, I truly believe that when I began making a concerted daily effort to study God's ways,  I began my Christian walk in earnest.


Another daily, and quick way to step into God's presence is to listen to Christian praise and worship music. . .not only to listen, but to hear the words, and apply them to your life.  I often sing a worship song as a prayer, offering up a sweet smelling savor before the throne of God.  


Only you can decide how you will work out your salvation, but work it out you must.


My prayer today is that each of us will realize, and answer,  the Call of God on our lives.


My Daily Devotion


Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts with you.


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The ABC's of the HOLY SPIRIT

The GIFT of the HOLY SPIRIT

is only the beginning of salvation.

When you willingly accept the gift of the Holy Spirit that God has so generously offered to you, 

you have only taken the first step towards salvation.

 It's sort of like when you go to school for the very first time.  You are so proud. . .you sing your ABC song to everyone, and then your teacher tells you, OK that's it, you know your ABC's now, that's everything you need to do.  Go out and start reading. 

No of course not, and salvation works exactly the same.

The gift of the Holy Spirit is only the beginning of knowledge.  That excited feeling you experience, when you receive the gift is exactly like knowing your ABC's or being able to count to ten.  

Your face is shining, you cannot contain your excitement, you need to tell everyone, and then what?  

Then the learning must begin.  Just as the learning to read began with small steps, so must your spiritual education begin.  Small incremental steps, a daily process of studying God's principles, of learning God's ways.

Just as you learned the difference between vowels, and consonants, and the sounds each letter makes, you must begin to know God's precepts. . .line upon line, here a little, there a little. 

Just as a child progresses in their reading skills, adding knowledge each day, beginning to put sounds together to form words, so must you begin to add spiritual knowledge each day, in small incremental steps.  

Just as a child must have a teacher to learn from, so must you have a spiritual mentor.  

Just as a child must practice the daily skills they learn, so must you practice your spiritual skills.

This may be something as simple as singing a worship song, and having the presence of God flow over you, as the words become a praise from your heart to the ears of God.

It may be as simple as learning the words of Psalm 23 and being able to say; The LORD is my Shepherd. . .and that's all I need to know.  As long as I stay under His protection, he will lead and guide me in all His ways.

My prayer today is that we will always know the Lord as our Shepherd, and that we will learn of Him each day.  I pray that learning God's ways will be a daily education, and that we will progress from the ABC's of HIS Word, all the way through to our College degree. . and that on graduation day when we stand before His  throne, a crown will be placed on our head, and He will say, "well done thy good and faithful servant."


How do I receive the marvelous Gift of the Holy Spirt?

My Daily Devotional 

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