4 Steps to Bridge the Gap Between Church and Daily Life

Have you ever gone to church and asked forgiveness for your sins, only to return home and continue your sinful behavior? Guess what... you're not alone. Millions of Christians and I have fallen victim to this behavior, asking ourselves, "Why? Why can't I just keep my promises to myself and God? Why can't I just be a good Christian?"

First, you are a good Christian. If you are saved by Jesus Christ and continue to care deeply about your actions, you are a good Christian. Second, this relapse of sin is not subject to only you. As I said, millions are dealing with this same struggle.

So, then arises the question: How can I bridge the gap between church and my daily life? I have 4 tips to counteract the sinful relapse and ultimately bridge the gap.

1. Force Yourself to Read a Devotion

Start with each morning. Download a Bible app, purchase a devotion book, or simply open your Bible to a random page as soon as the sun breaks through your window. Make a commitment and effort to look at at least one devotion every day. You can start slow, it can be every other day or every week. However, I would not recommend going later than this, seeing how easy it is to forget things after a week.

Read the devotion. Read it slowly. Take your time, and soak in every word. Use this time as a meditation. Making this a routine will give you one chance every day to start strong and grow a bit closer to God. After so long, you will start seeing opportunities arise throughout your day to put His word into action. That leads me to my next point.

2. Make a Priority to Act as Jesus Would

The saying, "What would Jesus do?" is not just a fun phrase. It has truth and meaning behind it.

When reading about Jesus, we see him reference scripture and God's word. Of course, he spoke from his own conscience, but his knowledge was based on the word of God. Although he was divine, he was also human. He was a human who had to study the scripture in order to walk the way of the Lord.

You too must follow in his footsteps. As you read your daily devotions, think about how you could apply them to your everyday duties. If the scripture says, "Be kind, and gentle," perhaps you can make a friend or stranger smile when they seem upset.

Walk the path of Jesus and be kind to others, forgive others, stand up for others, stand up for yourself, lead people back to God, and have undying faith that everything will turn out just fine.

3. Talk to People

More often than not, when someone reverts back to their sinful ways, they are alone. They sit amongst their own thoughts and anxiety, trying to fight the battle that they cannot win by themselves. Satan's touch is all around us. He owns this world of ours. But, he only owns your soul if you let him. And, that is his main goal. He wants to push your body and mind to the breaking point so that you avert your eyes from the sky and look down at him.

Escape the devil's tactics. Talk to other people. They do not have to be Christians, but it is definitely easier to talk to someone who knows what you are going through. By communicating and exchanging our problems with one another, we transfer a slight amount of the load that weighs so heavily on our shoulders.

Talk about God and how giving he truly is. Talk about the light at the end of the tunnel. Talk about how good it feels to be getting better. Talk about how good it feels to walk with Christ.

4. Pray Unconventionally

The common perception of prayer includes rigid and big words, on our knees, hands clasped, but this does not have to be you. This style of prayer is extremely difficult to practice every day because it takes a lot of effort. Satan will make the effort seem insurmountable, eventually making you avoid praying altogether.

Pray unconventionally. Pray as if you are talking with a friend. Pray in the car, on a run, in class, in your bed. Pray everywhere. You do not have to do anything else. God does not love you any less because you keep your eyes open or your hands apart.

I like to make a daily habit of thanking him for what he has done for me, asking for forgiveness for my past sins, and requesting the strength to overcome this world. I can pray that anywhere and everywhere in any way.

Continue to pray. Continue to talk. Continue to act. Continue to read. Then, you will be able to bridge the gap.