Books We Love: Live Smart

By: Joshua Reichard

The habits you form now are going to make or break you. Dan Dumas, in his book Live Smart, talks about 10 essential things we must have in our lives in order to form good habits. I have highlighted 10 truths from his book that are fundamental to know in our Christian walk.

To Know the Bible is to Know God:

Relationships are built on communication and time spent together. You will not find two people who love each other and never spend time together. Why then, is it that Christians do not understand this fact when it comes to their relationship with God? The only way to be intimate with Jesus is to read His Word. There is no magic spell when it comes to knowing God. Dumas points out that we must read the Bible daily. Scripture is our guide, treasure, protection, authority, and food. Therefore, know God by knowing His Word! Psalm 19 is a great place to find this principle in the Word.

To Pray like Jesus is to Pray Daily:

Mark 1:35 “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” We may come up with 100 reasons why we do not pray, but the fact of the matter is that Jesus the Son of God prayed. Jesus knew his life-line was prayer. We must understand our life line is prayer. Dumas quotes John Piper when talking about prayer and says, “Prayer is our duty like it’s the duty of a scuba diver to put on his air tank before he goes underwater.” Make it a habit or you will miss God’s grace in your life.

To Adore the Church is to be Part of the Church:

No church is perfect! Therefore, understand it is your responsibility to join the church and help them devote themselves to teaching, to each other, to worship, and the gospel. Join a local church so that you can be a part of the local body and become more like Christ. We must stop criticizing the church and start being part of the church. Join a small group, help out in the nursery, clean up after Sunday potluck, or talk to elderly people. The church is not about you. It is about coming together to stir one another up to love and good deeds so that no one will fall away!

To Be Submissive is to Lead:

Sounds like I don’t know what I am talking about, right? Submitting in order to lead isn’t the most common advice you will get in our culture. God calls us to submit to Him and to those who are in authority over us. Submission leads to leadership because in submitting, you can lead by example and show the world it is not about you, but about God. Once you know how it feels to submit, you will want to be a better leader and treat those who follow you with love and respect. Proverbs 1:20-33.

To have a Mentor is to Multiply:

Mentors shape you. When someone shapes you to be closer to the image of God, it allows for you to replicate to others what your mentor has shown you. Think about it, if you hang out with those who are lazy, you will become lazy. If you spend time with those who dedicate all their life to God eventually you will emulate them and become more like Christ through them. Paul said, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” 1 Cor. 11:1.

To Play it Safe is to Waste your Life:

“It is not the absence of any challenge that will invigorate your life and mine; it’s the presence of the right one.” Owen Strachen. God has not called us to a life of ease and serenity. He has called us to take risks for the gospel. What did Jesus do when in the temple or when he was teaching? He took a risk and said My Father’s will is more important than my own life. Stop being a couch potato and be a warrior who fights the good fight! Dumas writes, “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.”

To Work Hard is to Take Ownership:

Did you know you are created to work? Adam and Eve worked in the garden before the fall! God calls us to take ownership of the world he has blessed us with. Prob. 13:4 “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.” Find joy in the gift of work and realize work is never going to end. The hardship of it will subside in heaven, but know that every day you go to work you are doing what God has created you to do!

To Fight and Flee Sexual Temptation:

“If you do not want the fruit of sin, do not hang around sin’s garden.” The issue with sexual temptation is that we do not take it seriously. Men and women alike think they can watch a movie with just a little sexual material and just fast forward it and everything will be all right. This is not fighting sin at all! If there is a fire in the house you do not just throw a little water on it and go back to your normal routine. No, you call help, you grab your family, and you run from the fire. Stop trying to come up with ways to get around the sin. Call it what it is and flee from it like Joseph not like David.

To Know about the Gospel is not always to Know the Gospel:

In an ever changing culture, we face countless world views every day. How are you going to stand up to them? It is by knowing the gospel, experiencing the gospel. Too many times we learn about God, we read the Bible, and then go on living a pathetic life. Stop letting the culture change you. Embrace the gospel and let it transform your sinful life into a life that will transform others into image bears of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

To Know the Gospel is to Embrace the Mission:

In the end, why are we all here? We are here to bring the gospel to the ends of the world. Do not stand idle while there are those in your church, school, and work who need the gospel. Fulfill the great commission by going into the world. Remember, no matter where you go and who you talk to, God is the one sustaining you and enabling you. Have no fear for God has overcome all things!