Being after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22) and pressing towards the mark of the high calling of God in Christ (Philippians 3:13) is not easy, but it is simple. It is often a challenging task – the world, the devil, and your own sinful nature will fight against you – but things that are truly worth having are rarely easy. It takes discipline to be a disciple of Christ, but He makes it well worth every ounce of effort we exert in His direction.
1. Read Scripture
I Timothy 4:13, Romans 10:17
Reading Scripture means simply spending time with it. Get to know its contents, its characters, its main ideas. If you have not read the Bible from beginning to end, that’s a good place to start. If that seems too daunting, try just the New Testament, or even just the books written by Paul (Romans through Philemon). There are a ton of resources online to help you plan out a schedule for any length of time. There are even apps for your phone to help you stay on track.
2. Study Scripture
II Timothy 2:15, II Timothy 3:16-17
Studying Scripture is different from reading it. This is where you focus on a particular book, topic, or character and seek to learn everything the Bible offers about it. It involves reading slowly, reading carefully, making notes, and praying about what you have read. If you’re not sure where to start, the verses listed for these seven disciplines would be a step in the right direction.
3. Pray often; pray biblically
I Thessalonians 5:17
This is often the most difficult and neglected part of being after God’s own heart, which is evidence enough to conclude that it is terribly important! The last thing Satan wants is for a man or woman who is reading and studying the Bible to begin praying!
4. Vigorously cut sin from your life
I Thessalonians 5:22, Hebrews 1:9, Hebrews 12:1-2
If there is known sin in your life, it is time to start tearing it out by the roots. Anything in your life that in any way aids your sinful nature in doing what it wants needs to be eliminated. It is not easy, and it will take time, but every sin you discover in your life in must not be excused or tolerated. Do whatever it takes to get rid of it, even if it is inconvenient or makes you seem “odd” to other people. Every time you remove something from your life, be sure to replace it with something different that encourages you to move toward God. For example, if you eliminate your time watching television, decide on something godly that you will do with that time instead. If you remove sin and neglect to replace it with things that please God, your sinful nature will easily drag you right back into that sin.
5. Attend a Bible-believing church
Hebrews 10:24-25
We need to be involved in regular fellowship with other people who are actively pursuing God’s own heart. We need to learn from the experiences of those who are ahead of us, and encourage those who are behind us.
6. Do something for God
I Peter 3:15-16, Luke 17:10
We often have the mistaken idea that serving God means going on missions trips and volunteering for VBS in the summer. While these are both wonderful things, if these are the only efforts we are making to serve God, and the remainder of the year we live for ourselves, then we are out of balance. Serving God does not have to be a big, showy effort; in fact, it might be good to start with small, virtually unnoticed things. Have you tried leaving Gospel tracts everywhere you go in the course of your day? If not, it is a small, simple way to get the Gospel out every day, and thus serve God consistently and faithfully. Don’t underestimate the small things!
7. Cultivate thankfulness
Ephesians 5:20, Colossians 3:15, I Thessalonians 5:18, II Timothy 3:1-5, Hebrews 10:24-25, Hebrews 13:15
When we fail to recognize all that we have to thank God for, then our focus is certainly in the wrong place.
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