It all comes down to rhythm. Whether we’re talking about our health, our habits, even our faith—everything thrives on rhythm. Think about fitness for a moment. You don’t build strength by hitting every machine in the gym on day one. You don’t lose weight or grow healthier by starving yourself for a week. That might look impressive for a moment, but it does more damage than good. By the end of the week, you’re not more fit—you’re frustrated and sore, and you might have a craving for lasagna and cupcakes.
Real growth is steady. It’s shaped by rhythm—the kind you can sustain. Health is formed when we consistently make choices that feed it. You learn which habits contribute to strength and which ones drain it. You find your pace, your pattern, your rhythm.
Faith isn’t any different. You don’t build a faith that lasts by burning bright for a weekend. We’ve all been through a motivational speech or moment only to find ourselves back at the same point by Wednesday. You build faith that lasts by finding the rhythms that lead you back to God again and again. You get to know the things that strengthen faith: time in prayer, time in the Word, time in quiet reflection. You get to know God -- the One who is the object of that faith. Study His character. Learn His habits. Take a long look at His track record. You’ll see a faithful God inviting you to live faithfully.
But many believers never quite build that rhythm. In the opening chapters of Living by the Book, Bible teacher Howard Hendricks tells the stories of people who never learned how to study Scripture. Their reasons are familiar: “I don’t know how.” “I don’t have time.” “It’s boring.” Others say, “It’s not relevant,” or “It’s too hard to understand.” And plenty will admit, “I’m just not a reader.” The Bible can seem too big, too old, or too complex to tackle.
But the truth is—the problem isn’t with the Bible. It’s with our approach to it.
Hendricks taught that spiritual growth, like physical health, starts with rhythm. He called it a lifelong habit of observation, interpretation, and application. In other words, you don’t just read the Bible, you study it. You don’t just collect information—you apply what you learn. Step by step, day by day, truth begins to take root.
Think of it like this: imagine claiming to be married to someone you only talk to every three months. The relationship wouldn’t last long, would it? Yet many of us treat God that way—checking in occasionally but never establishing any sense of rhythm.
You don’t drift into health, and you don’t drift into faith. Both require rhythm. So start small. Be consistent. And remember—lasting faith isn’t built in a moment. It’s built in rhythm, over a lifetime, with a God who never stops showing up.