It has been said that motivation is what gets you started and habit is what keeps you going. Habitual actions, or customary practices, can either promote or undermine our progress towards reaching our lifetime goals.

The life of Jesus of Nazareth puts our thoughts about human life in proper perspective. Jesus stands as the paragon of what is best about humanity. His example and influence are without equal. His life and teaching revealed the truth about both humanity and deity. Jesus said that He was 'the Truth' (John 14:6). He is the truth about God and the truth about man. Missionary statesman E. Stanley Jones wrote, "Call him a man and you must change your ideas of what man is. Call him God and you must change your ideas of what God is."

Call Him a man and you must change your ideas about what our priorities and practices in life should be.

Jesus lived with a single purpose: to be in communion with and bring glory to God. This was evident in His habits as well as His singular choices. He preached, "But seek first the kingdom of God" and then showed us what that looks like in a human life.

There are several references to Jesus' habits in the record of Scripture. For example, you find a description of what Jesus would do followed by the phrase "as was his custom" or 'often' which denotes that this was his habit of life.

These habits are also continued as Christ lives His life through His church by the power of His Indwelling Holy Spirit.

1. ASSEMBLING TOGETHER TO HEAR THE WORD "He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read." (Luke 4:16)

Jesus, though He was God, willingly put aside His divine attributes, to fully identify with the human experience. He made it a practice as man to assemble with other believers, to read, study, and share the Word of God. We see this same custom birthed in the early church at Pentecost. "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42). This was also the Apostle Paul's custom.

2. DRAWING ASIDE FOR PRAYER AND COMMUNION WITH GOD. "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." (Luke 5:16). The early church was devoted to corporate and personal prayer. It is important that we are able to periodically commune with God without distraction. Having a specific trysting place where you are able to give God your full attention and devotion is a special aid to prayer.

When I first surrendered my life to Christ while in college, I would regularly walk at night to the base of a big tree nearby where I would pour out my heart to God. If you don't have that kind of luxury, you might consider Susannah Wesley, the mother of Charles, John and fifteen other Wesley children. She would throw her apron over her head to create her own prayer closet to fix her heart and mind upon God in the midst of the household cacophony! The children knew what it meant and respected her withdrawal to her makeshift sanctuary.

3. EXERCISING YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFT Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them (Mark 10:1). It is one thing to discover your spiritual gift (See 1Corinthians 12-14; Romans 12:4-8; 1 Peter 4:10-11). It is another to exercise it daily. Jesus regularly shared His discoveries and insights with those around Him.
4. PRACTICING SEEING AND MEETING UNMET NEEDS. It is said of Jesus that He "was moved with compassion" . He saw the true needs of men and women beyond the surface felt need. He demonstrated a genuine selfless concern for others (Matthew 9:36;Matthew 14:14) In as much as He was enabled and directed by God to do so, He met the needs of those before Him (Mark 1:41; Matthew 20:34).

How well have these essential habits been incorporated into your life? Are you being personally enriched through fellowship around the Word with other devoted followers of Christ? Are you taking time to commune with God in solitude as well as with others? Take time to come apart before you come apart! Have you discovered your spiritual gift? There are some 27 spiritual gifts alluded to in the Scriptures. Every believer has at least one. Are you habitually seeking to see people as God sees them? If you are, may you be moved with His compassion to serve their needs in the power of His enabling Spirit.

Practice your priority. For a priority is not truly a priority unless it is practiced.