7 Daily Habits of Holy People
I Thessalonians 5:16-23
1 Thessalonians 5:16-23
16 Be joyful always;
17 pray continually;
18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Do not put out the Spirit’s fire;
20 do not treat prophecies with contempt.
21 Test everything. Hold on to the good.
22 Avoid every kind of evil.
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(NIV)
The Apostle Paul uses the present tense of these verbs, which indicates that these things are to be continuing habits, a regular part of our daily lives.
Habit #1 of Holy People – Choose to be Joyful
1 Thessalonians 5:16
16 Be joyful always;
(NIV)
Joy is not dependent upon any circumstance. Unlike Happiness, which depends on happenings, Joy is a chosen state of being. We can choose joy and Holy People are Joyful people. Holy people allow their sanctified mind to keep them inspired when rough winds blow. Holy people keep their mind focused on things above the druggery of the world around them. Because their conscious is clear, they know joy!
Habit #2 of Holy People –Pray
1 Thessalonians 5:17
17 pray continually;
(NIV)
Holy People pray! Jesus is the center of their lives so they bathe their goals, their plans, their purposes in prayer. Holy People talk to God about EVERYTHING!
Habit #3 of Holy People – Look for Something for which to be Thankful in All Circumstances
1 Thessalonians 5:18
18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
(NIV)
Habit #4 of Holy People – Keep the Flame of the Spirit Burning
1 Thessalonians 5:19
19 Do not put out the Spirit’s fire;
(NIV)
Habit #5 of Holy People –Listen to what God has to say
1 Thessalonians 5:20
20 do not treat prophecies with contempt.
(NIV)
1 Thessalonians 5:20
and don’t stifle those who have a word from the Master.
(The Message)
Holy People love the Word of God. They love to hear it taught. They love to hear it preached. They study God’s Word to make sure that what the preacher says is correct. They do not write it off before they study it out! Because Holy people want to please the Lord!
Habit #6 of Holy People – Seek the best in everything
1 Thessalonians 5:21
21 Test everything. Hold on to the good.
(NIV)
Holy People are not “suspicious”. Holy People are sorters. They know when something is from God, when something is from man, and when something is of the devil. Holy People are not negative. Holy people positively look for the Godly things and hang on to them.
Habit #7 of Holy People – Stay away from evil
1 Thessalonians 5:22
22 Avoid every kind of evil.
(NIV)
It is a robust sign of spiritual health to have a fear of and a shrinking from all that would grieve our Lord, and to obediently separate oneself from whatever the Spirit reveals as wrong.
1 Thessalonians 5:23
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(NIV)
