Day 2: Jesus Being

“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Luke 2:49

Take a look back at your life in middle school. What did you love as a 12-year old? Your list may include sports, food, tv, shopping, and friends. At that age, you are already forming habits and routines that you will have for the rest of your life. 

At the age of 12, we see habits forming in Jesus that would continue throughout His ministry. In Luke 2:41-52, we read about Jesus returning from the Festival of Passover when His parents couldn’t find Him.

Many followers of Jesus understand they need to grow in their relationship with God but struggle to know how to grow. There was only one person who ever existed in a perfect relationship with God, and His name is Jesus. If there are anybody’s habits we ought to emulate to help us grow in our relationship with God, it’s Jesus!

Years ago, I read through the Gospels and noted every time Jesus practiced or taught on a particular spiritual discipline, or habit, in His life. While it’s not an exhaustive list, here are the five habits of BEING that we can observe are most prominent in the life of Jesus:

1. Commit to Community: Jesus chose 12 disciples and had a group of 72 that He mentored. In addition, there were an inner three of Peter, James, and John with who Jesus had a relationship.
2. Study Scripture: Jesus studied in the temple at just 12 years old and would continue to grow in wisdom. Also, did you know, 10% of the recorded words out of Jesus’ mouth were from the Old Testament? 
3. Prioritize Prayer: More than 40 times in the Gospels, Jesus prays. Prayer is a powerful tool God gives us to communicate with Him.  We see Jesus do this early and often.
4. Seek Solitude: Jesus would receive direction, focus, and everything He needed to endure His ministry by spending alone time with God, even in His busiest seasons. 
5. Choosing Church: Jesus visited the temple courts every day and used His unique talent to bless the assembled gathering of people.

Throughout His ministry in the Gospels, you find evidence of these five habits showing up over and over again. Jesus didn’t make these habits to earn His position as God; He did them because He HAD the role of God.   

To be like Jesus, we need to be with Jesus. These are rhythms and natural patterns and habits in the life of a disciple. Like Jesus, we can:

1. Commit to community.
2. Study scripture. 
3. Prioritize prayer. 
4. Seek solitude. 
5. Choose church.

I now have these five targets in my life that I shoot for to BE with God. I don’t always hit them. I don’t even get close sometimes, but I have direction and focus in my life. I have something I can aim at to get my bearings when I get lost. 

Challenge

Identify in the last month which of the five habits of Jesus you have practiced and how often. Which of the five habits is your strongest, and which habit is your weakest?