HABITS
Nathan Attwood
Pastor, Marianna First United Methodist Church
"When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom." Luke 4:16
"He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him." Luke 22:39
A well-known (not biblical) proverb says, "Show me your habits and I'll show you your future." The wisdom of this saying is that habits have a cumulative effect that gradually shapes destiny. One cookie won't make a big difference. One trip to the gym won't either. One kind word won't develop a friendship. One trip to the driving range, one hour playing a musical instrument, one date night with a spouse, one deposit in a retirement account, one wasted hour scrolling a cell phone or zoning out to FOX news or reality TV, none of these small actions will make a significant difference. But over time, habituating action determines the direction of life. Daily time at the piano makes a pianist, daily time with another person develops a relational bond. The habits add up and end up constituting the fabric of our lives.
The Gospel of Luke twice tells us that Jesus does something "as was his custom." The first is found in the Gospel of Luke chapter 4, in which Jesus returns to his hometown after being baptized in the Jordan River. Luke tells us he went to his hometown synagogue "as was his custom." In Luke 22, as Jesus is about to go to the cross, Luke tells us he goes to the Mount of Olives to pray, "as was his custom."
The Gospel of Luke explicitly mentions two habits that ordered Jesus's life. First, Jesus regularly attended public worship each week. Second, Jesus regularly carved out time and space in his day for scheduled prayer time.
If someone were to write a book about you and described your habits, what would they say about your routine? What would they say you did, "as was his/her custom?" Would someone writing a story about you say that you were in church every Sunday? Would they say about your prayer time that you prayed habitually, regularly, in a set place and time?
If I were to skip brushing my teeth for a day, my breath would stink but my teeth wouldn't rot immediately. But if I let the habit, the custom, of brushing my teeth fade from my routine, it wouldn't take long for my teeth to rot out of my mouth. People often ask me how I read as many books as I read. The answer is simple--I read something every day, even if it's just a single chapter. Over time, the habit of reading daily adds up and creates a rich intellectual life. The people I know who habituate their exercise are much healthier than I am, because I exercise regularly but not as habitually as I should.
I love the summertime and I love getting a break from some of my routines. The kids are out of school, our church takes a break from Wednesday suppers and many of our programs during this season, and we take some time for vacations, camps, mission trips, and the like.
However, I am a creature of habit. I can't wait to get back to my routine.
Maybe you are like me--preparing for a busy fall and taking stock of your daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal calendar. And maybe you have let your habit of weekly worship and small group connection slip, or maybe you have gotten out of the habit of daily scheduled time for prayer and scripture reading. Today is always the best day and now is always the best time to get back in church and back in the prayer closet, not just once, but as an ordered habit of life. Those who follow Jesus find life and joy in ordering their lives to make the habits of Jesus's living into the habits of their living too.