Thinking about discussions I have had over the last few year and my own struggles avoiding sin, I started putting together what I believe is a list of things that need to be included or altered in the daily lives of those who seek God and His Righteousness.
God wants us to be holy. Yet many of us struggle often to live sin-free lives. Is this truly what God wants? Is it possible to be alive and without sin?
Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
1 Peter 1:16, “Since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:15, “But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.”
Hebrews 12:14, “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”
The timeline has many overlapping parts as eventually all will be done daily or regularly as part of your routine. By God’s grace, there will be a time when these are our natural tendencies that doing them will be as natural as our routines now.
- Start for the first two weeks having morning and evening worship. Eventually morning worship will become a desired part of your routine, a must do! This is a good time to give God thanks for the blessings in your life. It is also a good time to do a study of the Bible. There are several Bible studies available online. I recommend the study guides at Amazing Facts. Although you may as I find it strange to sing praise songs alone or with your family in the mornings, but just like praying together out loud, the strangeness goes away quickly. Morning worship is a daily reminder and affirmation that you belong to God and willingly serve Him. You recognize God’s awesome goodness in your life and you cherish your saved relationship with His through Jesus.
- For the first two months start desecularizing your life. When you consider how many acts of sin we behold in secular television and movies, or hear in secular music it is no wonder why we struggle with temptation to sin. If you want to have success in your Christian walk, desecularizing your routine is a must. This may also mean avoiding going to places that are a temptation to you. And example: I spoke with a prospect who wanted to hold our meeting at Starbucks. I personally have nothing against Starbucks and go there for meetings often. However, as he continued to explain why Starbucks, he mentioned he likes the scenery of beautiful women that also visit the place. Well, if there are places you go that are a temptation, avoid them!
- Do a 2 month strictly vegan diet. All things work together for good in this timeline. Each thing will have its individual blessing and together the blessings are amplified. Eating proper plant based vegan diet helps to repair the body and clear the mind. There are so many things we eat that affect our communion with God that we must avoid. Recently I noticed that I was more and more foggy in my thinking. There was a definite feeling of fogginess all the time, some days worse than others. I spent many visits in the hospital and doctors to try to discover what illness I had and they could find nothing. I started a raw plant based diet for 2 weeks and then vegan diet and the fogginess was gone, my thinking much clearer, sharper. Let nothing separate you from the ability to communicate with God and hear the guiding of the Holy Spirit. (Take a look at the food that God originally planned for us to eat in Genesis)
- 3 months daily exercise. Again, my prayer is that each of these items on the timeline you do always, not stopping after the suggested time, but start to make observations on how you are feeling, your propensity to sin, your overall Christian experience. Exercise is also crucial and something I still struggle with. Regular exercise is not just a Christian requirement it is a healthy life requirement. Plan for as little as 30 minutes daily of exercise. And it can be as simple as a good walk and a bit of weights, but I suggest cardio and weights in a schedule that you stick to for at least the three months.
- 30 minutes in the middle of your day for prayer and praise. Jesus would often find time alone in the day for prayer. We are constantly tempted and the enemies attacks are relentless. Prayer is essential and not fully appreciated for its importance. Prayer without ceasing. In practical terms, the more you set aside time for communicating with the Father, the more your thoughts will be heavenward throughout the rest of the day.
- 2 months assemble a prayer list and schedule. We all know people that are struggling financially, emotionally, physically or spiritually. We should also all be praying for family, children, friends and co-workers. Pray for our enemies and those that aim to do you harm. Making a prayer list and setting time every week to pray for those on the list is an important part of being Christian.
- Every 7 days, rest. Yes, still, remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. It is funny how many people will tell you the Antichrist will force people to worship it and the final battle or Armageddon will be about worship. But the commandment that requires us to remember the day that God set aside for worship is forgotten. There is a promised blessing in the day as God set it aside and made the day holy. Try this for 2 months and remember that the requirement is to keep the whole day holy. You will discover what a necessary time this is.
- Remember God when speaking with friends for the next 2 months. Don’t worry they wont run from you. God blesses you so that you can share His goodness with others.
As usual, I welcome feedback especially from those that have decided to do this with me. I pray that you find success through these timeline steps and through Jesus who strengthens you.
