We don’t naturally develop speed and endurance while sitting on the couch and scrolling our phones. And we don’t develop speed and endurance because we went for a run one time. In the same way, we don’t naturally develop Christlikeness by living in this world. And we don’t get to know the Lord deeply because we read one page of the Bible. We don’t drift into communion with the Lord, and we don’t drift toward holiness.

At this point, I can say I have been a runner for decades.

I started in 6th grade when my gym teacher, Mr. Wenig, told me I was fast. So I took the compliment and ran, literally. My dad used the car odometer to mark a mile down the street, conveniently landing at a mailbox anchored in a large, steel bucket. I spent years with my stopwatch, timing my miles and laps around our suburban neighborhood. I found entertainment in the competition with myself and a mental release from the grind. Without initially intending to, I was building a habit and a hobby that would last for decades to come.

Like we can see the effects of a habit across years of practice, spiritual disciplines operate the same way. As consistent running makes the runner stronger and faster, so also a disciplined believer strengthens their faith across time through habits like prayer and Bible reading, and also through the easier to dismiss habits of Scripture memory, fellowship, and fasting. These rhythms of spiritual disciplines matter because habits build, habits sustain, and habits drive.

The Construction

There are 5,280 feet in a mile. This means, if you want to run a mile, you need to run 5,280 feet. There’s no other way to do it. But there are other ways to exercise.

I fear this is the mentality many of us approach Christianity with. We think we can know God however we want, but a foundation of general spirituality will never hold firm. Instead, when we commit to living God’s way and practicing behaviors the Church has held for thousands of years, we surrender Lordship and build upon the Rock. Our foundation initiates our trajectory.

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