In his book, “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” Author Steven Covey discussed the importance of adopting the right mindset and habits in order to achieve success in business, life and various other areas. The book, which has been on shelves more than 30 years is often seen as a must read for people who are looking for a way to improve their own lives. Thousands of people have applied Covey’s teachings to their own lives and have reaped the benefits of it.
While his book is a wonderful tool for people who want to improve themselves, it’s also worth noting that there are spiritual habits that we can apply to our lives to enjoy success in that area. Covey’s book is not a Christian living book. That doesn’t lessen the importance and effectiveness of the principles, but as people of God, it’s important that we look for opportunities to develop ourselves spiritually.
Fortunately, the Bible provides us with the principles that we need in order to enjoy more spiritual success. Applying these principles, each of which are found in God’s Word can help us live a better Christian life that is pleasing in the eyes of God.
What habits do spiritually successful people exhibit?
They Go to Church
Hebrews 10:25 (TPT)
This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing. In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate that day dawning
You’ve probably heard people say, “I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.” The topic of church attendance is widely debated, especially by people who want to live a more isolated, self-reliant existence. No, there is no Bible verse that says that we must attend church a certain number of times every month to get into Heaven. However, the Bible is clear about the importance of being connected to a local body of believers.
In this verse in the Book of Hebrews, the unnamed author says that it’s important that we don’t neglect spending time in worship with other believers. Spiritually successful people are people who spend time with other believers in times of corporate worship. Does God understand that you have work obligations and other demands on your time? Absolutely. Does that mean that He doesn’t want you to attend church when it’s possible? No, it doesn’t.
Being connected with other believers is important. When we are connected with other Christians, we receive the encouragement that we need to face the trials and tribulations of life. Additionally, we find people who have been through things we may be facing who can minister to us through prayer and testimonies of their own.
Humans have an innate need for connection. When God saw Adam alone in the Garden of Eden, he recognized that Adam needed to be connected to another person, so He made Eve. That need for connection hasn’t changed. Highly successful spiritual people are plugged into a local church with other believers.
They Read Their Bible
God has transmitted his very substance into every Scripture, for it is God-breathed. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness.
Lots of Christians, whether they’ve been saved for 20 years or a few weeks struggle with trying to understand God’s will for their lives. We often wonder what God wants us to do in certain situations and what His plan is for our lives. Lots of those questions can be answered simply by reading God’s Word regularly.
If you’ve ever been in a romantic relationship, you understand the importance of communication. If you were in a relationship several years ago, you probably saved notes and letters that your significant other wrote you. If your relationship just started within the last few years (with the advance of technology), you may have treasured text messages and voicemails. The point is you love the things that your significant other has written you.
The Bible is a love letter in its own right. Paul told Timothy in the verse that we just read that every Scripture is inspired by God. That means every promise contained in Scripture is something that He wanted you to know about. Every declaration of His love could have been put into an envelope and delivered straight to your address. Every example of His promising His grace and forgiveness could have been sent to you directly through text. It’s all for you.
Spiritually successful people know God’s Word. How do they get to know it? They spend time reading it. If they don’t have time to sit down and read, they listen to audio versions of the Bible during their commute to or from work. They make time for God’s Word because they understand it is one of the most important tools that they have at their disposal.
They Spend Time Praying
Philippians 4:6-7 (TPT)
Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ.
If God’s Word is His way of talking to you, prayer is your way of talking back to Him. Isn’t it amazing to understand that the God of All Creation wants to hear from you? He sits there on His throne in Heaven and waits for His people to take a minute just to talk to Him. What should you talk to Him about? Everything!
In his letter to the Philippian Church, Paul discussed the dangers of being pulled in different directions by life. Does that sound familiar? Depending on your personal list of responsibilities, there are probably dozens of things clamoring for your attention every day. Most of us start our days early and have to immediately start checking off things on our to-do list. Even if there isn’t a written version, you have one in your mind.
In addition to those responsibilities that pull us in every direction, we also have all the things that we worry about. Stress is a major cause of distraction. Paul pointed to prayer as a means of shifting our focus from the things that would worry and distract us back to God. It doesn’t mean that we shirk our responsibilities. It doesn’t even mean that you don’t acknowledge the things in your life that worry you. Instead, it means that you ground yourself through prayer.
The final habit of spiritually successful people is prayer. They don’t only pray when something is wrong. Many of us have a tendency to treat our relationship with God like an ATM machine. When something is going wrong, we like to pull up to Him, pray, get what we need and then drive away. Instead, spiritually successful people have a constant attitude of prayer. That doesn’t mean that you spend 24 hours a day on your knees beside your bed. Instead, it means that you spend your time with an open line of communication to God. Silently (or verbally) making your requests known to Him.
All of us should strive for spiritual success. It doesn’t look like worldly success. There won’t be any award ceremonies on Earth for your spiritual success. You may never see your name up in lights, and there won’t be a statue built in your honor. However, the Bible tells us that when we stand before God, we can hear Him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21). That is the earmark of spiritual success. It means that we please God with our lives.
A Closing Prayer:
God, help me to focus more on being spiritually successful. Yes, I have dreams and goals for my life, but help me to be more focused on living a life that is pleasing in Your eyes. I ask these things in the name of Jesus, Amen.