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As Christians, we’ve been promised eternal life in exchange for following the Ten Commandments and a God-honoring lifestyle. As humans, it’s part of our nature to diverge from the path of righteousness, but by asking for forgiveness and learning from our mistakes, we can begin to live as He intended. Part of honoring Him is living a healthy lifestyle; although there is no exact formula that pertains to every unique individual, there are some overall best practices that may help. Habit It takes 28 days to form a habit, and habits are an integral part of healthy living. With perfect adherence to a 28-day regimen of abstinence from a given sin, we can eliminate subsequent would-be occurrences simply by default. For example, many Christians may choose to stop using the Lord’s name in vain. While perfect abstinence is difficult, it’s not impossible. Think of something that you would like to improve upon, and decide on the first step towards achieving your goal. Doing the Right Thing by Default By keeping the goal at the forefront of our consciousness, we can begin to teach ourselves new reactions to situations that might call the temptation to heart. For example: instead of using the Lord’s name in vain, we may choose to replace it with another word, or eliminate the phrase altogether. At the end of each 28-day cycle, add another goal to your list. It has been suggested that beginning a new routine on the first of the month helps you keep track of the days and ensures that you have a clean slate on which to start. Attend Church Regularly Attending church regularly keeps God in your heart throughout the week. Prayer throughout the week is strongly encouraged, as it enables us to confer with the Lord about what He wants for us. If we confer with Him in all we do, we bring our thoughts and our desires into line with what He has asked of us. Attending church regularly gives us the support that we need to keep our dedication strong. Additionally, it may be helpful to view each Sunday as the start of a new week. Starting the week with a clean slate in the company of brothers and sisters in Christ provides a safeguard against sin, and a chance for us to regroup and to stand with Christ. Prayer Many Christians believe that praying for one’s self is not in line with what God wants. To the contrary, God already knows what we need and want. All He asks is that we tell him about it. Prayers are more than just thoughts. A truly open heart can pray with Divine Potential. In those moments when we ask God for direction and ponder the answers, we already have our hearts open. Pray from there. It’s okay to pray for gratitude, understanding, compassion and love for others. Christ has a relationship with each one of us, and knows us better than we can comprehend. He knows when each of us will be tempted and how gravely we will need comfort, and only asks of us that we seek such a relationship with Him. Cultivating a relationship with God should be an enlightening journey. Oftentimes, many Christians find it enriching to share their experiences, thoughts and faith journey with others. Once you reflect on your own situation and identify what you know you need or want to improve upon, seek the refuge and support of other Christians who may be experiencing a similar situation. Ultimately however, our faith journey is our own, and it is through ourselves that we will connect with God and live a healthy lifestyle.
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