Week 2 | Day 2 | Habitually Believing

Command:

“You believe in God, believe in me also.” John 14:1b (NIV)

Read:

“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” John 5:24 (NIV)

Reflect:

I grew up in a church that emphasized believing in tenets of faith, where any mention of experiencing the presence of Christ was dismissed. This resulted in a walk that was both arrogant and anemic. Later Christ mercifully showed me that, beyond academically believing basic doctrines, believing is an ongoing state of mind. “He who habitually hears my word and is believing the One who sent me has life eternal.” John 5:24 (WUEST) “He who is habitually believing has an eternal way of living.” Eternal life is life as Christ is living it here and now. By habitually noticing his presence and frequently focusing on the good traits of his character, Christ provides guidance for whatever is next in my day. 

Believing is attuning my mind to the way Christ thinks and learning to see who and whatever is in front of me through his filter of goodness. This can be the essence of being rooted in Christ. Believing extends the roots of my attention into the rich presence of Christ’s inexhaustible goodness, while Christ extends his roots, carrying the energy of his goodness, deep into my soul. 

This kind of habitual believing aims for a constant awareness and reliance on his presence. Doing so consistently proves to be among the greatest challenges of my life. My thoughts are driven by routines, silliness, and dysfunctional reactions to stressors. The work, then, is to frequently reset the mind to Christ, to habitually believe in the One who is the eternal way of living.

React:

So, I can ask myself in any moment, “Am I believing? Am I enjoying the company of Christ? Am I attuned to his goodness?”

Pray:

I direct my mind to the eternal, intangible Christ, who is very near, right now. I see the glory of your loving kindness and the wisdom of your ways. I bow, I follow.