Your Habits Determine Your Spiritual Growth
By Rick Warren
"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." 1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV)
Many people consider Tom Brady to be the greatest quarterback ever to have played in the National Football League. In 2021, he won his seventh championship ring as the oldest player to appear in a Super Bowl. How did he get to be so good?
There's a whole list of things Brady did to stay in peak performance mentally, physically, and emotionally, including drinking 20 ounces of water as soon as he woke up every morning. He developed healthy habits that paid off for him.
You grow when you develop good habits. This applies to every area of your life, including your spiritual growth. When you build good habits, you'll have good character. If you have good character, you'll have a great destiny. Your character is the sum total of your habits.
The Bible says, "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them" (John 13:17 NIV).
You don't get God's blessing for knowing the right thing to do. You get God's blessing for doing the right thing and making it a habit in your life. How do you build habits? Through repetition and practice. Study after study shows you have to do something—whether it's exercise, diet, or a spiritual habit—every day for six weeks before it becomes a habit.
Think about developing the habit of a daily Bible study. If you do a few days and then skip a day, and then do a few more days and then skip another day, it will be hard to develop a habit. But when you can discipline yourself to study your Bible every day, eventually it will become second nature; it will become a habit.
When you take the time to develop a good habit, you can then use it for the rest of your life to help you grow and be strong. Successful people are just normal people who decide to develop good habits that stay with them for the rest of their lives. You determine your habits, and your habits determine you.
The Bible says it like this: "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever" (1 Corinthians 9:25 NIV).
The good habits you build in your spiritual life are going to pay off forever in eternity.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Be Encouraged Each Day to Live Out God’s Purposes
As thanks for your gift below to help share the gospel with more people around the world through Daily Hope, we’ll send you Pastor Rick’s new book, Daily Hope Devotional: 365 Days of Purpose, Peace, and Promise.
Each devotional starts out with a Bible verse, followed by teaching that explains God’s Word and shows you how to apply it daily so you can face any challenge and live the life you were created to live.
As a special bonus when you give, we’ll also send you What's Driving Your Life?: A 10-Day Turnaround for a Fresh Start. Featuring 10 hand-picked devotions from Pastor Rick’s new book, they’ll guide anyone feeling stressed, worried, or discouraged toward seeking God for a fresh start.
Request your copy below when you give—and take the first step towards a year of real purpose, lasting peace, and unfailing promises.
Thank you for your partnership!
*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.
This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
