Rain or shine, He was there. Every Saturday, He did the same thing. Out the door and down the little street, He went. You knew the next turn He’d make.
A neighbour could say: “I know exactly where He’s going. See, I told you! And now watch: He’ll turn left and then hang a right.” And sure enough, He did.
“How did you know that? Have you been spying on Him,” one asks?
“No,” the neighbour says, “you don’t have to be much of a spy to figure it out. I’ve been observing Him over the years, and this is His habit – He does the same thing every Saturday. He goes to that building where the Word of God is opened and read.”
We know very little about the life of Jesus between the age of 12 and 30. They’re often called the hidden years of Nazareth. We do get a peek into His life at the age of 12. Luke tells us He lived with Joseph and Mary and submitted Himself to them. We’re also told He advanced through His teen years in all spheres of development. (Luke 2:51-52) We know that He worked as a craftsman. (Mark 6:3) And we know that during those developmental years, He pleased His Heavenly Father. He consistently did the right thing, at the right time, in the right way for the right reason – every time. 
One of the ‘right’ things He did consistently was what He did with His Saturdays. Even after He left home and was out on His own, His habit continued. One weekend He returned to His hometown, and sure enough, He did what He always did:
And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as was His custom, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and He stood up to read. Luke 4:16
What is a habit? A recurrent pattern of behaviour acquired through frequent repetition. Some say that repeating something for thirty days can form a habit for a lifetime. It probably doesn’t take that long to develop a bad habit. Bad habits are easier to form. Our sinful flesh actively prompts and promotes repetition. No reminders or alarm clocks are needed.
Can you identify some healthy spiritual habits you have formed with the Lord’s help? Do you have spiritual activities you repeat consistently – deeply engrained activities that you engage in even when you don’t feel like it? They’re so much a part of you, you do them anyway?
We all have days when we feel lazy and unfocused, but we read our Bibles anyway – whether we feel like reading or not. It’s a good habit! There are days when we ignore our alarm clock and rollover. Then we’re late, but we frantically grab our Bible anyway and make sure we read something from the Word of God before we step out into enemy territory. A good habit!
If attending weekly Christian gatherings was a part of my life growing up – rain or shine, exams or no exams, it’s more likely that I will continue with that habit when I go off to university. But what if my parents didn’t have such a weekly habit? What then? Well, it’s my responsibility to establish positive spiritual routines and customs for my own life for the Lord, regardless of my upbringing.
Name five good spiritual habits you would like to establish with God’s help.
Let’s conclude with a beautiful clarification that distinguishes the Lord from ourselves. His repeated actions were always performed with desire and purpose; there was nothing mindless or mechanical about His habits. But for us, even if some days a good habit is performed mechanically, it’s still good and right to do!
Sow an action and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit and you reap a character;
Sow a character and you reap a destiny. –William James
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Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today.
Warmly in Christ,
Peter Ramsay
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