{"id":3279,"date":"2017-02-20T11:41:37","date_gmt":"2017-02-20T17:41:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedisciplemaker.org\/?p=3279"},"modified":"2017-02-20T11:41:37","modified_gmt":"2017-02-20T17:41:37","slug":"faith-is-a-habit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.navpress.com\/sites\/thedisciplemaker\/2017\/02\/faith-is-a-habit\/","title":{"rendered":"Faith is a Habit"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Christianity is a surprising religion. It has changed the world in remarkable ways throughout history simply through Christians living out their faith. More recently, we\u2019ve become afraid of a habituated Christianity, thinking that routines will rob our faith of its vitality. The net effect is that we\u2019ve replaced the habits that surprise the world with habits that mimic the world\u2014and both we and the world suffer for it.\u2800<\/p>\n

I Don’t Need Another Vision Statement<\/h4>\n

Most church vision and mission statements sound great. They usually include clear biblical values and are crafted to be interesting and memorable. But what difference do they actually make?
\nRecent research suggests that rather than value statements shaping our behavior, our actions can actually shape our values.
\nAristotle once said, \u201cWe are what we repeatedly do.\u201d And the apostle James says, \u201cShow me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds\u201d (Jas. 2:18). Faith, then, is not an act or even a belief system; it is a habit.
\nFrench philosopher Pierre Bourdieu referred to this phenomenon as habitus<\/em>. In his view, the practices and actions that a society endorses in turn shape the way members of that society think.<\/strong> For example, desirable milestones such as getting married, building a career, buying a house, and raising a family reinforce American values of monogamy, professionalism, home-ownership, and reproduction. Not everyone lives out each of these practices perfectly, but they are expected societal practices nonetheless, shaping the way American people think, feel and act. They are examples of an American habitus.
\nHabitus is, I think, a much overlooked aspect of discipleship. Have we been focusing too much on transferring values to the exclusion of passing on missional habits?
\nMissional habits are those practices we nurture in our lives that unite us as believers, while also propelling us into the lives of others. The best missional habits become rhythms that energize us, replenishing our reserves and connecting us more deeply to Jesus.
\nMy church committed together to a set of missional habits:<\/p>\n