Holy Habits: The Blueprint
I want to start this Holy Habits journey with a picture — one that’s been foundational for me and comes straight from my book, Deeply Rooted: The Blueprint of a Deeply Rooted Life.
Before we talk about habits, rhythms, or daily practices, it’s important to understand why this way of living matters.
So picture it like this.
Your life has a blueprint.
Everything you do.
Everything you say.
How you think.
How you respond.
The habits you build — or ignore.
All of it quietly forms the blueprint of your life.
Now here’s the tension we all live in.
God already has a blueprint for your life.
And the purpose of developing holy habits isn’t to create our own plan and ask God to bless it — it’s learning how to stay aligned with His blueprint instead of ours.
I know. Easier said than done.
But is it possible? Absolutely — because Scripture reminds us that with God, nothing is impossible. It starts with a simple yes, and then we learn to keep walking it out with His help.
The Scripture That Sets the Foundation
The verse that shaped this entire way of living for me comes from Colossians 2:6–7:
“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”
This is what I call a deeply rooted blueprint for our life.
Paul starts with one small word that carries enormous weight: continue.
In Greek, it means to walk around continually. Not a one-time event. Not a “check it off your list” kind of faith. It’s about movement—daily, active, lived-out faith. The kind that breathes, grows, and keeps showing up even when life doesn’t make sense.
If we’re honest with ourselves, this is where most of us get stuck—and here's why it matters so much. Most people treat accepting Christ like crossing a finish line, when really it's stepping up to the starting line. We get saved and then... what? We stop at surface level faith and wonder why the storms keep knocking us down. But Paul is saying something radical: the same way you received Christ (with humility, surrender, and dependence on Him) is the same way you need to keep living every single day. Once again, continue means this isn't a one-time event—it's a daily choice to keep living like Jesus is actually Lord of your Monday morning, your difficult relationships, your bank account, your fears, your dreams.
And then Paul gives us the how.
Let your roots grow into Him.
Let your life be built on Him.
Two small words but these words change EVERYTHING.
INTO HIM
This is about depth. It’s the unseen work beneath the surface. Your roots growing into Christ means every ounce of your security, identity, and strength flows from connection with Him. Believe it or not, this isn’t about activity but about intimacy - staying in the dwelling place. This positioning of our heart happens in the quiet places of our life: in prayer, in worship, in surrender. It’s where your roots wrap around the Rock and refuse to let go.
ON HIM
This is about foundation. It’s the part people can see—the life you live out loud. Building your life on Christ means every decision, every word, every reaction, every relationship stands on who He is, not on the shifting sand of how you feel or what life throws your way.
What grows underground determines what stands above ground.
The Greek word for rooted is rhizoō, meaning firmly fixed, deeply planted. Picture a tree during a storm: its strength isn’t found in the branches; it’s hidden underground where the roots dig deep and hold strong. That’s what you call the comeback tree!
The word built up comes from epoikodomeō, meaning to continue constructing upward. It’s not a one-time build; it’s a lifelong process. So get this: God doesn’t just pour a foundation and walk away—He keeps building.
What I love is we aren’t doing this alone - God is with us through it all! He keeps building in us the very blueprints He planned for us before we ever existed! Phew! That’s so good! You are never walking this journey without Him by your side!
Holy Habit Focus This Week: In Him / On Him
This week’s holy habit is one of those “sounds simple but changes everything” kind of truths: In Him / On Him.
Think of it this way.
What’s happening in you is what ends up showing up on you.
In Him is the underground work — the quiet places, the Word, prayer that lingers, sitting with Jesus when no one else sees it. It’s where your roots are growing, even when you don’t feel like much is happening.
On Him is the visible part — how you live, how you respond, the choices you make, the way you love people, handle pressure, and walk through hard things.
Here’s the fun (and slightly convicting) part:
You can’t build a strong life on Christ if you’re not spending time in Him.
Roots are always first.
Then comes fruit.
Let me tell you a quick story.
Back in my early twenties… let’s just say there were moments when my mouth spoke before my brain had a chance to catch up. I know. Shocking. 😂 Thankfully, that wasn’t my norm — but every once in a while, that side of me would show up.
One day, I was doing the church books and the pastor stopped by. In a moment that still makes me cringe a little, I said something that was honestly just rude. It may have been true, but it didn’t need to be said — and definitely not the way it came out.
Thinking nothing of it, I went on with my day.
Fast forward about six years.
I’m now worship leader in a church in Stillwater, OK, having one of those deep me-and-Jesus moments — face down at the altar — when all of a sudden conviction hits my heart. Out of nowhere, the Lord takes me straight back to that scene in 1991. Same moment. Same words.
And what I love about God is how gentle He is.
He wasn’t shaming me. He was showing me the blueprint He was building in my life. He was bringing healing — not just for what I said, but for what was happening inside me in that season.
I honestly don’t remember exactly what I did afterward. I know I made it right in some way — whether it was a letter or a phone call — but what mattered most was what God did in my heart.
He taught me something I’ve never forgotten.
The words we speak matter.
What’s happening in us will eventually show up on us.
That moment was about alignment. God was tending to my roots so my life could be built on something better. Kinder. Truer. More like Him.
Even a single moment like this matters when the Lord is shaping us.
That’s the beauty of In Him / On Him.
He cares about what no one else sees — because He knows it affects everything everyone eventually will.
So, this week as you begin establishing holy habits, I want to remind you of this truth: It’s not actually about doing more, but it’s about paying attention to what the Lord is speaking and leading in your life and doing that.
You can ask yourself these simple questions:
Where am I growing in Him?
And what am I building on Him?
Because when those two stay connected, your faith stops feeling fragile and starts feeling grounded. And what comes out of your mouth, like mine, starts sounding more like Jesus.
Rooted Scripture for the Week
Colossians 2:6–7
Read it slowly. Seriously — slow. Simmer and enjoy. Write it down and keep reading.
One Thought to Simmer
If my roots aren’t growing in Him, my life won’t stay steady on Him.
Here are some resource to help you in this journey of living out Holy Habits - staying Deeply Rooted Christ. We’re all in this together. (Click on the resource for the link to appear):
Positioned for More Digital Magazine - God’s Purpose, My Pursuit
Deeply Rooted - 6 Weeks Bible Study
Lines up with my Bible reading today: "Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” What's going on inside will eventually come out! Holy Spirit, please grow healthy roots on my insides.