Have you ever paid attention to those outfits that nuns wear?  Some describe the way they dress as the “Amish Catholic” style. Their garb is called a “habit.”  That, of course, makes sense because they are obviously in the “habit” of wearing the same thing every day.  Habit is actually our English word that comes from the Latin word habitare, which means “dwelling place” or “the place where one normally lives.”  That’s obviously true for the nuns– they live life in those black and white uniforms.  It’s where they dwell– literally.

Now.  Enough about nuns. What about you and me?  (My apologies to any nuns that might be reading this blog.)  Here is a truth:  Our character is a composite of our habits.  To find out what our true character is, we must look at our  habits. A person’s character is NOT what they WANT to be like, but what has been practiced over and over in life.  Our character is how we live our lives, and our habits– our daily habits– are the evidence.

It’s not hard to understand how someone who is a habitual liar gets a bad character reference.  We all consider lying to be a very bad character trait, and someone who is called a “liar” has earned it by lying repeatedly.  Liars lie.  That’s what they do.  That’s how they live life.  The same is true for almost any other character flaw.  A man who loses his temper easily and often, is know as an “angry man.”  A “gossip” has a habit of disparaging others.  A “shady businessman” constantly makes deals that “look bad.”  A person who talks about himself all the time is probably known as “arrogant.”  An alcoholic habitually visits the liquor store.

But there is also such a thing as “good character.”  Someone who is “generous” gives liberally and regularly to help others.  A “joyful” person has a habit of smiling and speaking positively.  While a “crass” person regularly spouts profanity, a person with “good character” carefully guards the words that come from the mouth.  As a child my parents taught me the habit of being grateful. Our family never ate a bite food without first thanking God.  Was it an empty ritual?  Perhaps with some it may be– that’s between God and them.  But I’ll choose the habit of “saying the blessing” over a meal any day, than the temptation to forget Who really supplies my need.  It’s a Christian habit.  Just check the Bible and you’ll see.  Jesus did it– habitually.

When our habits truly change, we know that our character has changed.  Notice that I said, “truly” change.  Some can fake it– at least for a little while.  A habit is NOT something that is done every once in a while, but something that is done over and over and over.  Daily.  Regularly.

Those of us who know Christ are commanded to… clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ.  Romans 13:14   Yes, like the nuns in a convent, we are called upon to constantly live life in a habit– a habit of acting like Christ.  A person with “Christian Character” is a person who prays, who searches God’s Word, who has a regular, not sporadic, presence in church.

Another word for building Christian habits is the New Testament concept of “discipleship”– the discipline of following Christ, or the HABIT of following Christ.

Developing the habits in life that encourage faith and an intimate relationship with God cannot be underestimated.  Christian habits are not empty rules and fakery.  Developing Christian habits are not an attempt to earn salvation by good works.  No.  Never.  Christian Character is developed by building Christian habits.  If “habits” are “where we live,” then we must live our lives “in Christ.”  Do this, and your character will become your lifestyle.

Anything less will make good character nothing more than wishful thinking.