7 (or 8) Habits of Highly Effective Christians

If you browse the shelves of your local library or bookstore, you are sure to find plenty of books describing how to be a better Christian - from Bible study aids to commentaries, from books on spiritual disciplines to prayer journals, from guides to healthier living to "how to" books on serving others. There are many and various ways to grow in Christ.

Nearing the end of a transition period at my church, our interim pastor (Pastor Bob), following the pattern of Stephen Covey's "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," offered the following habits of a growing follower of Jesus Christ:

• Worship Weekly - everyone worships something or some body; Christians worship God!
• Believe Boldly - faith in God can stand the tests and trials of life.
• Study Seriously - search for God's truth in the One who is "the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6, NIV)
• Pray Persistently - God is available but not on demand. Don't give up on God's love for you.
• Care Compassionately - people are not things and need the compassion of Christ as we do.
• Give Generously - generosity if beautiful and reflects the very nature of God's love to us.
• Witness Winsomely - live faith in an attractive, genuine manner.

As I visited with Pastor Bob about his list, I pointed out that Stephen Covey had later written a follow up to his original "seven habits". In that same fashion, I offered (and share with you now) an eighth habit - one that I believe is both implied in the list above and in the way Pastor Bob lives.

• Relate Rightly - we are one body, one community in Christ; as such, it is important that we revere God, trust in the salvation earned for us by Jesus, listen to the Holy Spirit's prompting, and treat one another as cherished siblings, each a child of God.

With all due respect for Pastor Bob's well conceived list, I believe that if we are truly "relating rightly" to God and one another, we will indeed have made a habit of the seven items on his list. If we are to relate rightly with God, we must first know Him through serious study and persistent prayer. Once we have even an inkling of who God is, relating rightly to Him will entail weekly (even daily) worship. When we understand who Jesus is and what he has done for us, we will most certainly believe boldly. And having established a firm foundation with God, our right relationship to others will certainly include compassion, generosity, and witness to all those around us.

In coming weeks, I hope to share a few more of my own thoughts on each of these habits. (I may also consider Stephen Covey's habits alongside.) For now, I hope this list whets your appetite and has you pondering how you might grow in your faith. God's peace!

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Note: The premise of this post came in early June from an interim pastor serving my congregation. As he was preparing the way for our newly called pastor, Pastor Bob wanted to answer our question, "What now?" In doing so, he offered his "Seven Habits of a Growing Follower of Jesus Christ." In light of the recent passing of Stephen Covey, it seemed a most fitting tribute to share this list now. I was "raised" in the business world on Mr. Covey's habits and I greatly appreciate Pastor Bob's own list. My thanks to Pastor Bob and God's peace to the family of Stephen Covey.