"The 7
Habits of Highly Effective
Christians"
1.
They
continually praise the Lord…
”…I
will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
Psalm 34:1. Wherever
we are during our day, we can enter into praise to God. Worship isn’t a Sunday
morning experience, it’s a lifestyle, and most believers live in defeat
because they don’t experience personal worship in their walk with God. In
order for you to be an effective witness, servant, or whatever you do for God,
you must have an attitude of praise and worship. Sometimes we don’t feel like
worshipping, and that is OK…as long as you still do! If we will enter in even
when we don’t feel like it, then God will meet us at the point of our faith,
and our spirit does the rest. (Share
testimony about my worship problems…distractions, not “feeling” like
it…etc.)
2.
They consistently pray to
the Lord…
Confess your faults one to
another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent
prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James
5:16
What
would happen if you stopped talking to your best friend, or boyfriend/girlfriend
(wife/husband)? Your relationship would suffer! If we are going to be effective
Christians, we must maintain an attitude of prayer at all times. PRAYER=TALKING TO GOD. Prayer is not only a petition,
but it is also worship, and fellowship. Just like when you talk to your friends
or family (NOT the shouting, lol), you can talk to God. God desires us to spend
time with Him, and we do that through prayer. Our walk of faith will be stagnant
and dead if we don’t communicate with our creator. Make sure as you pray that
it doesn’t turn into a request time…but make it a fellowship time. Corrie
Ten-Boom said, “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” In
other words, do you use it to guide your life, or just when you break down?
3.
They are encouragers…
But
exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened
through the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews
3:13 Do
you find yourself tearing people down, or building them up? Effective Christians
always have a word of encouragement for someone, not harsh words. Everywhere
Jesus went, He shared encouragement to those who needed it…just like the woman
at the well, He knew that she was in sin, but he shared God’s love with her.
In your life, who do you look up to the most, and who will you always remember
(FAVORABLY)…those who encouraged you, or those who tore you down? How do you
want to be remembered? Read Proverbs 18:21… “Death and life are in the power
of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Talk
about the power of our words
4.
They are generous givers…
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and
shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the
same measure that you mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Read
Luke 6:38
When
Jesus walked the earth, He gave everywhere He went. He gave Himself for us on
the Cross, the ultimate gift…but how often do we even take the time to give
time to someone who is hurting, or hold back from blessing people with money,
etc.? What is so great about giving in the Kingdom of God is…even though we
don’t expect anything from God sometimes for what we do, God’s Word says
that when we give, He gives back even more! True believers give until it hurts
in every area…for this one reason…YOU
CAN’T OUT-GIVE GOD!!! Read 2
Cor. 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him
give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. When we give, we should do it without
reservation…what if Jesus would have second-guessed His decision on the cross?
We must give in the right spirit, or we lose out on a blessing…
Each of us would like to know that we are having some type of impact for
the Lord on this earth and that we are broadening our circle of influence for
Christ. So let's look at the next three habits that round off our list.
5.
They are dreamers…
The Bible says that old men dream dreams and young men see
visions. Sounds kind of like one is sleeping and the other one is awake! The
dreamer is not like a stagnant pool but rather to be compared to a raging river.
They can never he content with where they are or what they are doing. They
always have another idea, something to shoot for, an inner strength that keeps
their minds and spirits burning at the time. Their hunger for a new experience,
a deeper walk, a higher level of effectiveness motivates them to keep on keeping
on (Proverbs 16:26).
They realize that nothing is impossible with God, so their expectations many
times are scoffed at. But when they put their drive and determination behind
their vision, they see supernatural results and therefore have a unique impact
on the people whose lives they touch. This habit enables them to see the
potential in the circumstances that they are in the midst of, even when others
can't.
6.
They are servants…
1 Peter 4:10
tells us that we are to use the gifts that we have to serve others. The Bible
also tells us that he who desires to be the greatest of all must be the servant
of all (Mark 10:44). We
should strive to put the needs of others ahead of our own (Phillipians
2:3,4). When was the last time that you took a meal over to your sick
neighbor or helped the pastor clean up around the church during church workday?
Make a special effort to develop a habit of serving and seek ways in which you
can practice hospitality.
7.
They have a destination in mind…
You need to envision the finish line if you are ever going to
get out of the starting blocks. Phillipians
3:14 tells us to press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God
called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Our goal is to see the lost come to know
the Lord as their savior and our destination is a mansion in glory. You have got
to know where you are going if you ever plan on getting there. They have a
vision God has birthed in them, and even though they don’t see the complete
picture, they know God is going to finish it (Read Phillipians 1:6).
In
summation, ~ 2 Peter 1:3 says, "His divine power has given us everything
that we need for life”. There is a method to being effective and we have seen
some of the habits that need to infiltrate our lives. We live in a world that
longs to be effective, not just efficient. Efficiency is doing the right things
but effectiveness is doing things right. Highly effective Christians praise,
pray, encourage, give, dream, serve and aim for the mark. Write down this list
of habits today and allow them to be part of your daily lifestyle. It won't be
long before you see the effect that your effectiveness can bring.