Seven Habits For Highly Spiritual People:
Law #4
Vital Habits
The word
“vital” comes from a Latin word meaning “life”. Something vital is “essential
for life”. The following Vital Habits are essential for our spiritual life. If
we practice any of these things even once it will do good, but for them to
really be effective they need to be habitual.
Most
of the most important decisions we make in life we aren’t even aware of. That
is because most of the decisions we make are just automatic. We are simply
following our habits. There are some people who consistently fail at whatever
they do. This is because they have a lot of bad habits. Others seem to succeed
at everything they do. This too is the result of habits…positive ones in this
case. Changing our habits is very hard at first. We have to start thinking
about all the little things we do, say and even think. It is painful and
awkward at first, but, eventually our new ways will also become habitual. It is
entirely possible that a person who has consistently failed due to bad habits
can go through a difficult transition period and emerge with a new set of habits
which ensure success in just about anything.
The following habits provide strength, energy and motivation for our spiritual life. Just as a good strong pulse and steady breathing rate may be “Vital” signs for our bodies, these habits are the vital signs of spiritual health.
The word “PRoLIFERATE” is a good way to remember these vital Habits. The word proliferate means to grow rapidly or spread rapidly. This is precisely what will happen to yourself and those around you if you carefully develop these habits.
– Prayer and Bible Study
R – Rest
L – Learn from Pain
I – Integrity
F – Friends and Family
E – Emotional Control
– Respect All Truth Equally
Consider each of these habits to be like one law. It is best to study just one a day and think about it deeply.