7 Habits of Highly Effective Christians

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7 Habits of Highly Effective Christians

Introduction to Habits

When I was in college during my early 20s, I read through dozens of investing, self-help, habit building, and efficiency increasing books. The goal was to make the best and highly operatable version of myself possible. One of the most popular topics that came up in such books was: habits.

Beginning in the 1960s, Maxwell Maltz, a plastic surgeon, began to notice patterns among his patients. He noticed that it would take about 21 days before they would adjust to their new look after a constructive surgery, or no longer sense a “phantom limb” after an amputation.

After publishing his thoughts about behavioral change in a book called Psycho-Cybernetics, the book went on to sell more than 30 million copies and influence every major “self-help” guru in the decades to follow. Many of whom I read all their works such as: Zig Ziglar, Jim Rohn, Brian Tracy, and Tony Robbins.

Unfortunately, after a long game of “Telephone,” as behavioral psychologist, James Clear (author of Atomic Habits) puts it, “the minimum amount of time to form a habit”—21 days— was shortened to “it takes 21 days to form a new habit.”

However more research has been done on this topic since then. In fact, on average, it takes more than 2 months before a new behavior becomes automatic—66 days to be exact. Depending on the habit it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days for people to form a new one.

(If you are curious about the science behind how long it actually takes to form a habit, read this article by James Clear, “How Long Does it Actually Take to Form a New Habit.”)

Religion and Habits

On August 15, 1989, Stephen R. Covey published his book entitled, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It details seven ways individuals can achieve success in their lives. This book is in the top 25 Most Influential Business Management Books of all time, and is a must read if you haven’t done so already.

For good or bad, we all can become slaves to the habits we form. Habits can either be your foe or friend. They can hinder or help you achieve everything you desire to do.

Success is not just for business and wealth though. For the religious, there is usually a checklist of things to do in order to be an effective follower or seen as a successful person. For the Jews, it is following the hundreds of Laws they have; for the Muslim, it is following the Five Pillars of Islam.

As for a Christian, the biblical definition of success is “Knowing God.” 

The most priceless and rewarding thing one can achieve is finding Jesus, growing to be like Him, and obtaining the eternal life that comes from His redemption (John 17:3; also Psalm 16:11).

Physical success is nothing without spiritual success. After all, Jesus taught that “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36). There are things that, as a Christian, we can do to grow to become more like Jesus and increase our effectiveness in expanding the Kingdom of God. These are the types of habits that are worth looking into and developing. In fact, here are “Seven Habits of Highly Effective Christians.”

The Seven Habits of highly effective christians

Habit #1 – The Habit of Praying

Prayer is one of the most powerful weapons and spiritual tools a Christian has. It is the direct communication line to God. There is power in prayer and effective Christians should develop the habit of praying continuously as the apostle Paul says (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Prayer is an important part of a Christian’s life. Prayers are a way of expressing our praise, thanks, and concerns before a loving God who cares. But we need to realize that the source of prayer is not us. Prayers are not powerful because we are smart, rich, beautiful or strong. Prayers are actually powerful because of God. 

Habit #2 – The Habit of Studying the Bible

If prayer is about talking to God, then Bible study is allowing God to talk to you. The Bible is God’s Words to mankind. It describes who He is, His plan for you and I, how we ought to live in this life, as well as offering encouragement as we live our lives in a world full of evil.

Creating a habit of daily reading from His word, not only rejuvenates the Spirit, but gives guidance and wisdom, as well as keeps us grounded in truth: Truth as God created it, set its boundaries, and ultimately defines.

Habit #3 – The Habit of Fasting

Fasting is more than just a health benefit. Fasting is a way to deny self and focus on God. When you shift your focus on God’s desires rather than your own wants and cravings (e.g. food, social media, etc), it primes the spirit to be more open to hearing God speak into your life.

Even though you can do a fast now, such a habit is built from developing the first two habits: prayer and studying the Bible. Such a habit comes out of desire and yearning for that closeness with God.

Habit #4 – The Habit of Overcoming Sin

This is a bit lengthier of a habit to talk about. Sin is literally, missing the mark of God’s holiness. It is the direct disobedience to the commandments of God. If we break God’s commandments, we are sinning. It is actually the hardest of all habits to conquer and make good. But here’s how to overcome sin:

1.     Identify the sin – We need to specify the sin that we want to overcome. We must identify the ROOT CAUSE and start from there.

2.     Avoid the cause of sin – The best way to overcome sin is to withdraw from temptation.

3.     Have the will to overcome the sin – Identifying the sin is easy but having the willingness and willpower to overcome sin is more difficult.

4.     Remember the deadly consequences of sin – One of the best ways to develop the willingness to overcome sin is to know its NEGATIVE effects. If we think about it: sin has its short-term, long-term, and eternalconsequences. At the final analysis, sinning is not worth it. It is better to endure for a moment and be deprived of the pleasures of sin than to suffer its deadly consequences in the future.

5.     Set your mind on the reward of overcoming sin – Imagine living your entire life with no regret, no shame, a clear conscience, and a closeness with God. The reward of overcoming sin is being in right relationship with God. You are in a familial and trusted closeness with Him and have Eternity to long for again rather than a momentary fleshly craving.

6.     Humility is needed to overcome sin – You can never overcome sin if you are full of pride. Proud people can’t sincerely say “sorry.” They are the ones who don’t see the need to identify their sins, overcome it, and ask for forgiveness. Humility enables us to have a teachable attitude. We need to recognize our GREAT dependence on God and the realization that we are nothing unless God grants us repentance. Without humility, we cannot let God control our lives and mold us according to his will and purpose.

7.     Replace sinful habits with righteous habits – You don’t eliminate habits; you only replace it. If we are going to overcome sinful habits, we must replace it with righteous habits. It is the most effective way to overcome sin.

8.     Seek godly counsel – Overcoming sin does not have to be a one-man battle. We can always obtain the help of our church leaders, ministers, pastors, and fellow believers.

9.     Ask God’s help – We need to realize that we cannot overcome sin by ourselves. We can only do our best, but most often than not, our best is not enough.

10.  Never give up ­– There are sins that we can quickly overcome, while others can be more difficult. The important thing is that we don’t give up.

Habit #5 The Habit of Attending Church

Hebrews 10:25 commands believers “to not forsake the assembling together, but to encourage one another daily.” The word “forsake” is the same word used by Jesus on the cross when He cried out to the Father, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). We need that familial connection with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. That encouragement and motivation is crucial to spur on love and good deeds in the body of Christ. To live on purpose for Christ and His Gospel. Not gathering habitually, is denying the relationship and presence of God in our lives.

Habit #6 – The Habit of Developing the Fruit of the Spirit

Notice how all these habits seem to build on one another. But Galatians 5 tells us plainly that walking in the Spirit helps break the habits and desires of the sinful flesh. Without the Spirit of God in us, it would be impossible to overcome any temptation and sin. Without the Spirit of God, we could not live out the character of Christ or break bad habits.

Habit #7 – The Habit of Preaching the Gospel

Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 28:19-20 to make disciples of all nations. It is the call of all God’s children to preach the Gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ. If you want to be an effective Christian, that is one habit that must be developed and practiced like all others.

Ending Thoughts

This list is not exhaustive, but you can see the power of making these habits part of your daily life. I encourage you to pick one of the seven and try doing it consistently for a couple months. See how that changes your spiritual life and the way you view the world and others.

Change doesn’t happen overnight. However, repeated actionable steps can bring consistent behavior that benefits you, others, and the growth of the Kingdom of God.

For Further Study