Recently, I saw a short video online introducing a book called “Atomic Habits.” The content of this book is about how to establish good habits in life. What impressed me the most is that the book mentions that the key to building habits is not about willpower. Relying solely on willpower to form habits is not enough; more importantly, it is about recognizing our identity. For example, when you want to start a running habit, you must identify yourself as someone who enjoys exercising. Otherwise, it will be difficult to enthusiastically complete it every day.
Isn’t it the same for Christians to establish a daily routine of devotions and Bible reading? We often focus on how to do it, why we can’t do it, and whether we are too weak, but we often overlook the core issue: Who are we? Why should we do this given our identity? Christians are children of the Heavenly Father. Do we want to draw near Him? Do we see Him as a strict and harsh father, making us fearful and wanting to keep our distance, or do we deeply know that we are His precious children and enjoy drawing near to Him, who also wants to draw near to us?
Next, the book mentions four steps to establish life habits, which I will try to apply to establishing a routine of devotions and Bible reading:
1. Cue: This is the signal that triggers the habit. It can be something in your environment or at a specific time. When you want to establish the habit of drinking more water, you can post reminders like “Drink Water” everywhere. At the same time, make the habit easy to perform by placing bottled water in different places so that you can drink immediately when you see them. Christians should have more than one Bible at home, placing them in the bedroom, living room, and even the dining room to receive more reminders to read the Bible.
2. Craving: This is the motivational force behind the habit, the desire or urge to perform it. The author suggests linking your desire with the habit you want to establish. For example, if someone likes watching Korean dramas, they can play them on the treadmill, letting the desire to watch drive running. Of course, we won’t watch dramas while doing devotions, but many Christians enjoy a cup of coffee daily. We can read the Bible and meditate quietly while enjoying coffee.
3. Response: This is the actual behavior or action you take, which is the habit itself. The practice of the habit should not be set too difficult. You can start with the “two-minute rule,” which means starting the habit with small, easy-to-complete actions. We hope for a half-hour quiet time, but don’t underestimate the importance of starting with short periods. A regular life is built from small, repeated actions.
4. Reward: This is the positive outcome or benefit you get from performing the habit. It reinforces the habit and makes you want to repeat it. Of course, the reward should not contradict your identity beliefs. If you want to establish a habit of running to strengthen your body, you can’t reward yourself with a big meal every time you finish running, as it doesn’t align with being a health-conscious person. So, as children of the Heavenly Father, the reward after devotions should not be an opportunity to indulge in lust, but it can be a piece of your favorite candy or a game of Candy Crush. I believe this is acceptable.
If you are still struggling with daily devotions and Bible reading, I hope the above methods can help you.
Rev. Chiu