Godly Man's Habits: 7 Marks of a Godly Man

 

Wedding Crashers

I was sitting at a wedding reception when the officiant approached our table and began to rant that the local church was nothing more than a franchise and not needed by believers in Jesus to flourish spiritually. The ensuing “discussion” ended with him storming away.

 

But he got me thinking. Was he right? Do we need the local church to thrive? Can a follower of Jesus thrive without a community of believers?

 

After a deep dive into the word of God and human experience, I determined two things—1) the Church is vital to spiritual growth, and 2) there are seven habits that dynamic followers of Jesus in the Bible, history, and personal experience practice regularly. For my detailed teaching on this click here.  

 

Enoch Did What?!

 

So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.

Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

~Genesis 5:23-24

 

Enoch didn’t have a Bible. He didn’t have a church on every corner. He didn’t possess the indwelling Holy Spirit, access to great podcasts, or Christian radio. Yet he “walked with God.”

 

Enoch inspired the following acrostic to guide you towards vibrant, enduring faith in Jesus.

W.A.L.K.I.N.G. with God  

Worshipping God regularly.

Worship is twofold. First, does my life positively represent Jesus? Is my life an offering to Him (Romans 121-20)? Second, do I consistently worship God with a community of believers through music?

 

Approaching God in a scheduled time of prayer.

Jesus modeled spending time with the father. Jesus taught us an outline to pray.  Do Ihave a consistent time set to pray to my God?

 

Loving other Christians through fellowship.

In my 35 years of ministry experience, fellowship is the first public thing to go when our walking with God diminishes. Do I have a Christian community that I identify with and that identifies with me?

 

Knowing the Word of God.

Do I spend time learning, studying, or reading the Bible and Bible-centric books?

 

Investing your resources in the Kingdom of God. Do I give financially, generously, and consistently to God’s work from the first fruits of my earnings? Am I stewarding the resources God has given to manage?

 

Nurturing others into disciples. Do I regularly share my faith? How often do I encourage others to grow in their relationship with Jesus?

 

Giving your life away in Christian service. Do I strategically serve others in the name of Jesus with my gifts, talents, and abilities?

 

Walk This Way

Do you want to know more? Do you want to walk with God more in 2023 than you did last year? Check out our latest Men in the Arena Podcast episode where I unpack this in greater detail.

 

Forming Godly Habits,

 

Jim