The majority of Americans love fads or crazes. They love practices or ideas for a time with exaggerated zeal. Television is drenched with get-rich-quick and loose-weight-now ads. You would be hard pressed to find a local channel after normal programming hours that do not show infomercials.

In this land of quick and easy fixes, we naturally want to incorporate this desire into every aspect of our lives. This is unfortunate. As the ketchup commercial taught us, “Good things come to those who wait!” Not everything can be fixed quickly and easily. Most anything worth while takes time and dedication. It takes hard work. This is especially true in the realm of religion and Christianity.

Peter teaches us, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby.” (1 Pet 2:2 ) It must be the desire of every Christian to grow. In the natural world, we know that if something is not growing, such as a tree, it is dying. We are no different. We must want and desire to grow.

There are some practices that we can put into our daily lives that will help us to grow as children of God. These practices are not fads or crazes, but they are simple and probably common sense. These practices take time, effort, and patience, but if they are followed, could lead us to a great relationship with our maker. These practices are a guaranteed growth if followed. Let us look at one of these practices this week.

The first practice to a guaranteed growth is for us to incorporate faithful and zealous study of the word of God in our daily lives. It is from God’s word where we receive our faith. Paul tells us, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” If faith comes by hearing the word of God, how can one expect to grow in faith without proper study? It is impossible. And, without faith it is impossible to please God! (Heb 11:6 ) Paul also said, “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” (Acts 20:32 ) God’s word has the ability to build you up, that is to say guaranteed growth, and give you an inheritance, that is a heavenly home some day.

So we see the importance of studying and knowing God’s word. How, then, can we develop good study habits?

The first step to developing good study habits is to develop a thirst and hunger for knowledge of God’s word. Jesus preached, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matt 5:6 ) We have a promise that if we do hunger and thirst, Christ has made a way for us to be filled. We must be as the newborn baby that desires the milk. We had our children on a formula, and I know those children didn’t drink that formula because it tastes good. They desired it because it gave them a satisfaction. We need to feel the same with God’s word as the baby does to the milk. God’s word does not always taste so good. Sometimes the word of God is as John described when he ate the book and it was sweet to the tongue but made his stomach sour. (Rev 10:9-10 )

We need to understand the word of God’s ability to change our lives, to make us better in all ways. When we understand that, then we will start to hunger and thirst for it. It does not always satisfy our body, but it does satisfy your soul! Let us be as David when he said, “I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.” (Ps 119:16) Or, when he said, “I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.” (Ps 119:162)

Let us work on our study habits. When you create a healthy hunger and thirst for God’s word, then fill yourself by drinking up His word through faithful, regular, and consistent study. If you do this, you’ll be on your way to a guaranteed growth in your life.