The Spiritual Power of Habit
Soon I began to see this everywhere.
Habits are the things that shape us even when we don't notice it. That's why they are so powerful. Christians have a spiritual word for this, we call it "liturgy." Liturgies are the patterns of worship we do over and over, semi-consciously to unconsciously, because we want to be shaped in the image of the God who loves us.
But notice how similar habits and liturgies are. They are both things that we do over and over, semi-consciously to unconsciously, and they both shape up. The only difference is that liturgy "admits" that it is centered around worship. Our daily habits often obscure what we worship, but that of course doesn't mean were not worshiping something.
We were created by God to be people of worship. We can't help but worship. So the question is not whether we're worshipping in our daily habits, the question is just "What are we worshipping?".
Habits of the Household
Here is a thought for you: "We become our habits, and our kids become us." If that has any truth to it, then our habits of the household are one of the most significant parts of our children's spiritual formation. And usually, we don't pay any attention to it!
After my bedtime fiasco of realizing my "normal," I started to think about this everywhere. Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms is what came out of those years of refection.
My boys are still quite little. We have four of them, from pre-school to middle-school, and if you came into our house you would find it as messy and loud as any house. However, I hope you would also notice some rhythms that to us, have become normal. And yet, they shape our days in powerfully spiritual ways.
They are all little things: We begin dinner by lighting a candle and proclaiming "Christ is light." It's a small way to call kids to dinner (as it turns out they like fire) but a big way to shape their theological imagination in the truth that Christ animates all of existence.
Before leaving for school in the morning, we pause at the door and all recite a sending prayer: "Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thank You for this day. Bless us as we work, study, and pray. Be present with us, in all we do, may we bring glory and honor to You." It's simple and short, it even rhymes a little. But it's a way to make our moment before school a little less of a rush, and a little more of a missional moment where we all walk out into the world to glorify God.
After discipline, we have liturgies of saying, "I'm sorry," "I forgive you," and then hugging to reconcile. This has been a really important one for us, as I'm confident me and my boys get more opportunities to apologize and reconcile than most. But it's a wonderful way to remember that conflict amongst sinners is not unusual. What's unusual is forgiveness and reconciliation.
Letting God Make "New Normals"
All of these things are little, and yet the Lord has used all of them to reshape our day to day interactions in meaningful ways.
We all have habits. Why not try to let the Lord reshape them into new normals?
But remember this: Habits won't change God's love for us. But God's love for us should change our habits.
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