Habits of Highly Effective Christ-Followers
Be Proactive – Part V

Scripture Reading: Genesis 2:1-25 NLT

Key Verse: Genesis 2:7 NLT
Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.

In yesterday’s devotional, we looked at some suggestions about how to internalize God’s values into our minds and hearts. Our goal is to replace the worldly values which have slipped into our lives with the values of God’s Word.

The first suggestion I made was to give God’s Word a daily time slot in your schedule. It is not difficult to internalize the truths of the Bible when it is a daily task over a long period of time.

A second essential aspect of internalizing God’s values is to make weekly worship at church services a priority. When you join other believers in worship, you sing songs that have God’s values built into them. Singing God’s values is a great way to get these truths into your mind and heart.

Though you can listen to many of the same songs on the radio, there is something about corporate worship, seeing the words on the screen, and singing them with other believers that makes a world of difference.

Of course, weekly worship at church includes a message from the pastor. Hopefully, you attend a church that believes that God has inspired the writers of the Bible and it gives believers everything necessary for this life and salvation.

Some believers take notes on the pastor’s message. Be sure to do so when it helps you focus and get more out of the message. It is most important that you go to church regularly and that you go there with purpose to learn, grow in your faith, and celebrate all God is doing in your life.

Let me speak to those who have given up on church. Churches are full of imperfect people; that is a given for any social gathering. However, to give up on church is contradictory to God’s Word, which tells us that Jesus died for the church.

As your read the New Testament, you will find dozens of places where gatherings of God’s people took place and God’s blessings was on them. When you go to church, focus on our Savior and the fact that He is worthy of your worship rather than focusing on the people.

If the pandemic got you out of the habit of going to church, read Hebrews 10:25:

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.

If you are unable to worship in the church that you have been attending, then find another Bible-believing church.

Remember, the more you put into your church the more you will get out of it. Engage and take part, do not just be a spectator!

Father, forgive me when I do not make learning about Your Word a priority. In Jesus’s name I pray, amen.