A doctor applies their knowledge and experience to treat illnesses, just as a lawyer uses their expertise to uphold justice. In the same way, believers should also put into practice what they learn from God to guide souls into His kingdom. Professionals like doctors and lawyers cannot rely solely on their initial education; they must continually update their knowledge to keep pace with advancements in medicine and changes in laws for better outcomes. Similarly, believers cannot depend only on the memory verses they learned in the past. Instead, they must continually deepen their understanding of God’s Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal new insights that address the challenges and situations they face in life.
Building Our Faith On The Rock
Practice often refers to engaging in rituals and religious traditions in a broader sense. But what does it truly mean to practice something? It can be challenging to distinguish practice from routine in everyday life. For instance, brushing our teeth each morning is a routine, yet it is also a beneficial and essential habit.
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. – Matthew 7:24 (NIV)
In this parable, Jesus taught that those who practice the Word of God are like a person who builds their house on solid rock. In contrast, those who ignore His teachings are like someone who builds on sand—a foundation that quickly collapses when the rains fall and the streams rise.
Based on this instruction from Jesus, we should examine what foundation we are building our faith upon. When Jesus said, “Practice My words,” He meant that we should learn to live by them. However, simply following a routine in our spiritual walk may not always be beneficial.
For example, we often deceive ourselves by mistaking rituals for true devotion. Attending Sunday church services can become a mere habit if we do it only because it’s something we’ve always done. Over time, this practice may lose its meaning, and we may feel unsettled if we miss a Sunday, not because we long for God’s presence, but because we’ve broken a routine.
However, God is always present and never far from any of us (Acts 17:27). This pattern of empty ritualism is not new. In 700 BC, through the prophet Isaiah, God rebuked the people for their meaningless sacrifices and repetitive festivals, saying He took no pleasure in their offerings.
“Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations — I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. – Isaiah 1:13-14 (NIV)
But why did God command them to build the tabernacle and bring offerings in the first place? It was to create a space for practicing holiness and experiencing His forgiveness. Yet, over time, these sacred acts became hollow routines. People brought their sin offerings out of habit, forgetting the deeper purpose behind them.
In spiritual life, unlike in the world, routines can become barriers to growth in God’s love and strength. Worse, some believers have fallen into a routine of sin, trapped in cycles of wrongdoing they cannot break. Paul witnessed this pattern of habitual sin among believers and addressed it with urgency, warning them against the dangers of a routine that leads to spiritual stagnation.
Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. – 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NIV)
Paul was addressing those who had already been justified and sanctified—not unbelievers, but forgiven sinners. Yet, despite being cleansed by the blood of Jesus, they continued to struggle with sin. What caused them to remain trapped in their sinful habits? It was the danger of routine in the spiritual life. Paul brought out the functioning of habitual sinning as follows:
For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. – Romans 7:19-20 (NIV)
Take, for example, a believer who bows before an idol out of lifelong habit. Even though he no longer intends to worship it, his body responds automatically, driven by routine. However, when it comes to sin, such ingrained habits cannot be taken lightly. The enemy exploits these routines, trapping believers in cycles of guilt. When they fall into sin repeatedly out of habit, the devil uses their failure to condemn them, making them feel unworthy and distant from God.
In a similar way, when God calls His people to move beyond empty rituals and worship Him in spirit and truth, the devil deceives them. He creates a sense of emptiness, making them feel lost without their familiar routines. As a result, they cling to rituals rather than pursuing a genuine relationship with God, mistaking the comfort of habit for true worship.
Breaking The Routine
Hannah stepped away from her usual routine and chose not to eat when Elkanah and Peninnah followed their customary ritual. Instead, she went to the temple—not out of habit, but as a special moment—to pour out her heart before God. It is common for people to welcome guests with delicious food. However, Mary broke from this tradition and instead sat at the feet of Jesus to listen to His Word. Similarly, it was customary to end a betrothal if the bride was found to be pregnant, yet Joseph defied this norm. He chose to take Mary as his wife, making way for God’s plan of redemption.
Breaking routine is often necessary to cultivate a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God. While following laws and traditions can be good, they alone do not make us righteous. True righteousness comes only through God’s grace and the righteousness of Jesus.
“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” – Galatians 2:21 (NIV)
If we feel lost when we stop our routine rituals, we should reflect on what we have truly gained from them versus what we have gained by practicing God’s Word beyond those rituals. Without a doubt, the latter brings peace and deeper understanding of God. The more we truly know Him, the more our mechanical rituals will fade, leading us to a more practical and heartfelt approach to God. In our spiritual journey, true “practice” is not about rigid routines but about responding instantly and reverently to God’s voice.
Eli, as a priest, faithfully performed rituals such as keeping the temple lamp burning by pouring oil into it. Alongside these duties, he had many other routine responsibilities. However, guiding Samuel to recognize and respond to God’s voice was beyond his usual rituals. Likewise, we must remain spiritually alert and be willing to set aside traditions and rituals in order to hear and follow God’s voice. When we actively listen and respond to Him, we begin to truly practice His Word in our lives. God’s Word has the power to break every routine—whether it be religious rituals or habitual sins. Many continue in sin because they rely on external traditions rather than actively responding to God’s voice.
Our Decision Paves Way
Those trapped in habitual sin or bound by traditional rituals should heed the voice of God. Whether we struggle to sleep without indulging in sin or without fulfilling rituals, both weigh equally in His sight.
“In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” – Hebrews 12:4 (NIV)
This does not mean we must literally shed our blood, for doing so would place us back under the law, disregarding His grace. To understand this, we must listen to Jesus, who instructed us to cut off whatever leads us to sin (Matthew 5:29-30). Did He mean we should physically blind or cripple ourselves to be free from sin? No. But when we grasp the immense suffering Jesus endured—the crown of thorns, the nails, the agony He bore for our sins—we should be willing to go to any lengths to turn away from sin. And when our hearts are truly ready to surrender, even before we take any drastic action, our sins will be made white as snow.
The habitual and relentless practice of reading the Word and praying can blind believers, making them think they are truly committed while missing the true light. Jesus exposed this reality to those who saw themselves as superior due to their rituals.
“Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.’” – John 9:41 (NIV)
So, do we still wish to cling to our old, sinful habits and hollow traditions ingrained in us? Or will we make a firm decision to cleanse them through the blood of Jesus, which is freely available to us? Rather than blaming our overwhelming habits, we must recognize them as grave sins. Only then can we genuinely confess and allow the blood of Jesus to cleanse us completely.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
The Jordan Valley 
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