The simple definition of a habit is “an action which is repeated often until it is the natural behavior in one’s life.” There are those habits which are good, those which are neutral and those which hinder us in our development. Think of the power of habitually doing that which is right, almost without thinking, because we have trained ourselves to always do that which is right. Take time to look at one of the habits of Jesus’ life.
His custom was always to worship God. After His baptism and His temptation in the wilderness, Jesus began His public life. He returned to the town where He had been raised. “So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day . . .” (Luke 4:16). Did you notice those words in the text, “as His custom was”? It was the Sabbath day, the day the Jews gathered for worship. Where was He? Had you been around Him you would have immediately known where to find him. It was the Sabbath—Jesus was at the place He always was on that day.
His custom to worship began early in His life. This custom to worship began even before He had an awareness of where He was. It began when, as an infant, His mom and dad, on the day appointed by God, brought Him to the temple. Luke describes that day, “And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law . . .” (Luke 2:27). Think about the importance of this statement. From infancy His parents lived to obey God, and Jesus was reared in a home where it was customary to serve and worship Him. Parents, if your child has to ask, “Are we going to worship or Bible classes,” you are sinning against your child!
His custom to worship continued into His adolescent years. “And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast” (Luke 2:42). Years later when the God-appointed feast day arrived, where would you expect to find Jesus? You know the answer. This verse gives insight into why He was there. It was His habit, His custom—in infancy, in adolescence and in adulthood. His custom was always to worship and serve God.
Some in the first century had another custom. God commanded the early church, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some . . .” (Heb. 10:25). The saints of the early church assembled to worship, to learn, to sit at the feet of Jesus. Jesus was there (Matt. 18:20), but some had a habit of not assembling!
Two customs about worship—which one is yours?