Behavior

Thank You

We hope you enjoyed this devotional. For more resources to help you become the leader God intends you to be, visit https://thelionwithin.us.

-------

Paul was helping Timothy see that an effective path starts with teaching which will lead to training, and the end goal was for those he was leading to change their behaviors to be obedient to the Holy Spirit. Pulling on that thought further, it appears to me that as leaders, an effective way to serve and help others grow is to provide training that moves knowledge from conscious to subconscious behavior. Consider how professional athletes perform their skills on a consistent basis. It seems as if truly great athletes like Kobe, Brady, and Maddux (you didn't see that one coming) are able to perform the most difficult tasks with seemingly effortless ease.

Now what we don’t see behind the scenes, is the countless hours of training they endured to master their crafts to this level. No doubt they all had knowledge of the sports like no other but knowledge without application is fruitless. For example, you can spend countless hours studying how to do a crossover move on the basketball court, with the never-ending feed of YouTube and Wikipedia, the ability to learn about this move is endless. However when you step on the court unless the transfer of knowledge has occurred to take the skill from your head to your actions then have you really grown?

As I think about my subconscious behaviors as a Believer many are shaped by the training that has occurred throughout my spiritual journey. Items such as dedicated prayer time, discipleship group discussions, weekly Bible study, and engagements with other Believers have become part of my natural behaviors as a result of the training completed thus far. The best part is that as a follower of Christ, our growth never stops and because of that truth our subconscious behaviors are always being shaped. So on your journey look for opportunities to teach and train and as you draw closer to Him you will naturally begin shifting from conscious to subconscious behaviors as you strengthen your faith.

Questions to Consider:

1. What subconscious behaviors do you recognize in seasoned Believers that you would like to add to your walk?
2. How can you use the new behaviors you adopt to serve others in their growth as a follower of Christ?