A lot happens in your 20s! So, it is important to be taking intentional steps towards formulating good habits. What you put into practice today will shape the rest of your life. Here are five habits I have observed in twenty-year-olds and how God is calling us to something different!  

Stop Thinking Only About Yourself

Philippians 2:3 commands us to humbly count others as more significant than ourselves. We are called to love those around us. One of the best ways to do this is to serve. A mindset of servanthood, shifts our focus away from ourselves. It makes us think about how our actions affect others, helps us make wiser decisions and builds up lasting friendships and community.

Stop Running from Authentic Vulnerability

It’s time to break the trend of false community that social media has created. We all crave genuine and authentic relationships. One of the best ways to achieve this is to step out in vulnerability. Be real with people. Share about the things you are struggling with. Talk about the things that make you happy or sad. Open up to people. Vulnerability isn’t easy but it is worth it. Take the time to intentionally invest in real relationships. Leave Facebook and Instagram behind for a few hours and let people into your life.

Stop Trying to Take the Easy Way

We should be intentional, not accidental. 

Leonardo Da Vinci once said, “It has long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” What a good reminder why we should not be passive about life. We should be intentional, not accidental. This principle is applicable at work, at school, in relationships, etc. Though our first response may be to busy our schedules, busyness is just another form of passivity. Appearing to be doing a lot of work is not the same as actually being productive. We need to start asking God what he desires us to be working towards. His direction and desire for our lives should be the motivation of our work. And we should run after it with all we’ve got!

Stop Playing the Comparison Game

Stop comparing your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel. 

Do you want to know a secret? The only one who can truly determine your value is the God who created you! We need to stop looking to our digital likes as the thing that defines us. You are more than just a social media profile. Stop comparing your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel. The comparison game is deadly. You were uniquely made by the Creator of the entire universe. Psalm 139 gives a beautiful picture of the deep identity that can be found in intimate relationship with the Creator. You are uniquely you. Stop thinking that your gifts and talents are not enough. God created you for a specific purpose that no one else can accomplish. Once you fully embrace yourself, then you can stop worrying about what everyone else thinks and just go for it!

Stop Forgetting to Joyfully Celebrate Life

We need to take time and reflect on the goodness of God, his faithfulness to us and the blessings we experience every day from him.

Celebration is important and today is a gift — that’s why it’s called the present. We need to take time and reflect on the goodness of God, his faithfulness to us and the blessings we experience every day from him. This doesn’t mean we forget about hard work and planning for the future but it does mean life doesn’t always have to be work. Having fun and living in the moment is a necessity. It is thanksgiving and praise to God which open the gates of heaven. Sometimes this means we need to choose joy even when everything seems to be going so wrong. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, it says we should rejoice always and give thanks in all circumstances. This concept is repeated again in Philippians 4:4. Joy helps uplift your perspective and sheds light on the situation you find yourself in. It gives us hope and reminds us of the greatness of our God.

How are you doing in these 5 areas? Ready to develop new habits that bring you closer to God?

Come join us for a Discipleship Training School to learn how God speaks when we make time to listen.