Defined By Our Habits

by Chris Simmons

Daniel offers to each of us a powerful example of faith in, and commitment to, God. As a young man who was taken captive to Babylon, he had already “made up his mind that he would not defile himself” (Daniel 1:8) and took actions consistent with such a mindset. Daniel was so consistent in his service to God, that later, when his jealous enemies sought to accuse him, the only strategy they could come up with was to use his unwavering faith against him (Daniel 6:4-5) knowing he would choose God over the edicts of men. Thus, they convinced King Darius to enact a law that no one “petition” or pray to “any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days” (Daniel 6:7), and that anyone who did “shall be cast into the lions’ den.” We then read in Daniel 6:10, “Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.” In other words, Daniel did what he always did, regardless of the laws of man because he had “made up his mind.” Not only were Daniel’s enemies aware of what he always did, the king himself knew of Daniel’s constancy of faith and service and avowed after casting him into the lion’s den, “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.” The next day, the king returned to the den to ask, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?” (Daniel 6:20). Daniel indeed was so consistent in his practices and habits that even his enemies and an idolatrous king knew what he would always do even if it cost him his life. Someone once said, “we are what we repeatedly do.” What is it that we repeatedly do? Are we so faithfully consistent in our spiritual practices that not only do our family, friends, and brethren know what we will always do, but our neighbors, co-workers, and even enemies because they know we’ve made up our minds?

What is it that we always do? Most importantly, is it known that we will always seek to please God and not ourselves? Jesus stated in John 8:29, “And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” As you study the life of Jesus, it is plainly evident that He always sought to please His Father in what He did, what He taught, and in what He endured. Jesus was always engaged in the work of His Father (John 4:34). Do we live as He pleases or as we please ourselves, whether others are watching (cf. I Peter 2:12) or not? Paul stated in Philippians 2:12 that he wanted the brethren in Philippi to “always obey” whether he was with them or not.

Understanding that all “have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), do we always strive to ensure our conscience is clear when we sin? Because of his hope in the resurrection, Paul stated in Acts 24:16 that “I do my best (take pains, ESV) to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and man.” Always maintaining a blameless conscience means we are always examining ourselves and our conscience to see if we are “blameless.” When Paul wrote in II Corinthians 13:5, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!”, he expressed a divine command that we are to continuously do. Scholars point out that the word “test” is in the present imperative which means that it is a command to do something now, and in the future, and “involves continuous or repeated action” (Zodhiates). When, upon self-examination, we realize that we have sinned and missed the mark, we need to always maintain our blameless conscience by confessing (I John 1:9) and repenting of our sins (Acts 8:22).

Our service to God is not only defined by what we don’t do, but perhaps more importantly, by the work we’re willing to offer to God. Paul, once again because of the hope of the resurrection, exhorts us in I Corinthians 15:58, to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” Not just working occasionally to the least degree possible, but “always abounding” which carries the idea of consistently overflowing in our labor for Jesus Christ and His kingdom. Jesus, noting the vast number of “sheep without a shepherd,” said in Matthew 9:37-38, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” As we sing, “there is much to do, there is work on every hand.” We read of the great things that can be accomplished when “the people had a mind to work” (Nehemiah 4:6). Christians who finish the race always have the mindset and habit of finding a way to contribute to “the work of the Lord.”

Our receipt of God’s blessings should always be constantly met with a heart of thanksgiving. Paul noted in Ephesians 5:20 of our need to be “always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father.” Our gratitude is to be known to all men for what God has done for us and for the many ways our brethren exhort and encourage us to fight the good fight. We also should remember I Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” As we reflect on our abundant blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3), the choice to rejoice and give thanks should be the Christians calling card, recognized by all – even our enemies!

Speaking of those who oppose us in our stand for the cause of Christ, we are to be “always ready” to defend our faith and our hope. Peter, writing to suffering Christians who are scattered about as sojourners, wrote in I Peter 3:14-15, “But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness … sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” Is our defense of our faith and hope in the gospel a constant in our lives? Do others around us know that we will defend the truth based on book, chapter, and verse whenever challenged?

While fighting our spiritual battles and facing varied trials and tribulations, we are to be continually characterized by a courageous spirit. Having affirmed in II Corinthians 4:16 of our need to “not lose heart” and have our “inner man … renewed day by day,” Paul speaks in II Corinthians 5:6-8 of our need for courage while we strive to be at home with the Lord. “Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord – for we walk by faith, not by sight – we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” We can be of good courage because of He whom we serve and His victory over sin and death. John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Like Daniel, as Christians, we must be known by our habits and those things that we constantly and repeatedly do including pleasing God and not ourselves, maintaining a blameless conscience, abounding in the work of the Lord, giving thanks, defending our hope, and being of good courage.