The ‘Chukat Concept’: Engraving wisdom to build godly habits that change your attitude (and life)

Read Time: 19 Minutes

Let’s face it. There are things we just don’t want to do. And it’s not even like we don’t know we should do them; or maybe we do want to do them, just not now…or anytime in the near future. And I’m not just talking about procrastination. Nor am I talking about all out rebellion. It’s that happy little intersection, somewhere in between.

I’m talking about the type of things we know are good for us. And not only things healthy for the body, like getting our daily servings of fruits and vegetables, but rather spiritual fruit and things that are good for the soul. Things that God tells us in His word that we ought to do.

Sometimes these are referred to as statutes or ordinances, which are different from commandments. Commandments are the things that we have no choice over because they are also built into the law of the land. Not always the case, but you get the point.

Now with some of these instructions (the real translation of the word “Torah”), there are some parts we just don’t understand, or perhaps can’t comprehend as humans on this earth.

One example is the cleansing laws of the Red Heifer. In simple terms, in order to purify the tent of meeting (and the people), a Red Heifer without blemish had to be sacrificed. And the blood had to be sprinkled at the tent of meeting and the ashes were kept outside the camp, used for the waters of purification.

Now this ceremony is in and of itself extremely complex and difficult to understand. And the even more intriguing part is that the purity comes from the seemingly impure (burnt corpse of a dead animal). In fact, those who carried out the ceremony became impure themselves and had to be cleansed.

According to the sages, Moses understood the secrets behind the Red Heifer ceremony. So in essence, he didn’t need to believe it at face value, because he understood it and all of its depths of wisdom. What we already understand is much easier to believe and follow. What we don’t understand…well that is harder to believe!

By the same nature, this is the very essence of on-the-job training. This can be safety or normal operations-based. If we don’t understand certain aspects of the job or the purpose behind certain safety precautions, we tend not to believe in their purpose or necessity. Hence the paradox of belief. It becomes more difficult the less we understand, but all the more necessary!

Maybe this is too bold of a hypothesis, but perhaps it is most important to believe those things of the Word which we understand least. With this we are sacrificing our need to understand (and need to control), ultimately exemplifying our trust in God. We are acknowledging that His ways are greater than ours. And just maybe, in the journey of relinquishing control, God gives us exactly what we crave – deeper understanding, godly habits and true happiness!

““For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,” says Adonai. “As high as the sky is above the earth are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

‭‭Yesha ‘yahu (Isa)‬ ‭55‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭CJB‬‬

Chukat – To Engrave

“Chukat” is one of the 54 weekly Torah portions or sections of scripture that Jews around the world study at the same time each year (a few are typically combined depending on the number of weeks in the year). I will attempt to explain these reading cycles and their importance in a separate post. Nevertheless, in the cyclical, repeated study of this particular portion, we can understand deeper and deeper meanings each time around. This time around we will focus on the first and second levels (known as the Peshat and Remez).

The Peshat is the literal, surface or plain meaning of a text. It would be equivalent to simply translating and understanding the word for word connotation. A simple example would be “The chicken crossed the road.” In this, we understand that a certain chicken walked from one side of the road to the other.

The Peshat or literal meaning of the word Chukat is Ordinance. Which is a fancy way of saying a law which you may not understand, but is necessary for holiness and obedience. Also, although we may not understand it, we understand the principle that all scripture is fruitful for teaching, wisdom and life in general!

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is valuable for teaching the truth, convicting of sin, correcting faults and training in right living;”

‭‭2 Timothy (2 Ti)‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭CJB‬‬

The second-level or deeper meaning here is where it gets very intriguing. The root word of Chukat is ‘Chok’ (חוק) and is closely related with the verb to etch or engrave (‘lachukot’ or לַחקוֹק). As the wise Rabbi Brad Scott (blessed be his memory) used to say, “There are no such things as ‘coinky-dinks’ with God.” In layman’s terms, we serve a highly intentional and purposeful God. Anything that seems related, is more than likely related to serve His will and our understanding of that. These related points serve as a pseudo-‘connect the dots’ exercise for us as children of God.

Therefore, we can quickly surmise that there must be something here to glean…

If we think about habits – whether or not we understand the purpose of them or not – they take some effort to start. Experts say it takes around 61 days, but who’s counting. The beginning of this habit creation cycle is hard, it is even sometimes painful.

When we engrave something on stone (God forbid on our bodies – literally), there is such a high amount of pressure or force needed. Sometimes even a force that is beyond our human strength and capability (hint hint).

Needless to say, once the groove has started, it is easier and easier to chip away. And when the groove or engraving path becomes so smooth, our tools seem to glide through like water. In fact, this is how river stones become so smooth and almost polished…take a second to think about that!

There is a great takeaway here that I hope you have already gathered… There are some statutes, commandments, or ordinances that although we do not understand, they are fruitful to implement.

And like all good habits, good deeds, or obedient, godly living, they may be difficult at first to implement, but we will ultimately reap the rewards, regardless of our understanding! Nonetheless, if we pick up some understanding along the path, all the better and awesome that treasure will be.

“Trust in Adonai with all your heart; do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him; then he will level your paths. Don’t be conceited about your own wisdom; but fear Adonai, and turn from evil. This will bring health to your body and give strength to your bones. Honor Adonai with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your income. Then your granaries will be filled and your vats overflow with new wine. My son, don’t despise Adonai’s discipline or resent his reproof; for Adonai corrects those he loves like a father who delights in his son. Happy the person who finds wisdom, the person who acquires understanding; for her profit exceeds that of silver, gaining her is better than gold, she is more precious than pearls — nothing you want can compare with her.”

‭‭Mishlei (Pro)‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭15‬ ‭CJB‬‬

Building godly habits

Before we get too deep (pun intended), it’s always good to start with definitions, and then pile on the first principles.

The definition of a habit (according to Miriam-Webster) is “a settled tendency or usual manner of behavior.” I actually like the second definition a bit more, which defines a habit as “an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary.”

This ‘automatic’ or ‘involuntary’ element of habits is critical as it can either help us reserve brainpower (in case the case of good habits), or hinder us (in the case of bad habits). That is why it is even more critical to go one step further to understand the first principles of habits and how we build them (or demolish them).

Key aspects of building habits include intentionality or awareness, and integration or implementation. For godly habits, there is an additional habit aspect of obedience to God’s word. Obedience is so crucial when it comes to showing our love for God and growing in our relationship with Him.

Intentionality can work in both directions. If we are intentional about the habits that we want to build, we can build the right ones that both serve our ideal identity and our Creator God. Bad habits work against us and our Creator. He wants us to be healthy and live long, prosperous lives. Look no further than the first chapter of Genesis. He created us, told us to be fruitful and multiply, and He saw that it was good!

We all have bad habits, no questions about that. But if we think about how these bad habits started, or what exactly triggers them, it is sometimes harder to pinpoint and understand.

The good news is we can unravel bad habits in the same way that we can build good, godly habits – through strategic thinking and intentional actions!

AWARENESS

“The other way you can change is by consciously deciding to do so…The first step toward change is recognition. The awareness of exactly what we are currently doing provides the opportunity for new choices and thus for change.” -Tony Robbins, _Unlimited Power

It doesn’t seem like rocket science I know. But if it is so simple, why don’t we just change?

We have to take it one or two levels deeper to really understand and become aware. Habits follow a reminder (or trigger) – routine (or response) – reward cycle. In fact everything is a cycle, and there is levels to that! James Clear, habit expert and author of Atomic Habits adds a four step in the cycle which is craving. We will discuss that in the final section of this post.

When you think about just one of your habits, what is your cue?

For example, one of the most powerful godly habits for me is reading a portion of the weekly Torah portion each day of the week. In essence, it breaks up into bite-size chunks, something that at times, can be a lot to chew!

When I think about the reminder for this, it is actually another habit, which is my journal. My journal is literally a bright colored, physical journal. And each day, I open it to capture my thoughts, intentions, and notes (for another post). This reminder actually creates a godly habit stack, which is another powerful habit tool pointed out by James Clear in Atomic Habits.

The journal is the reminder or cue, and then I immediately write in my ‘Seek First’ action, followed by the other things I need to do that day – including a calendar! (see post entitled God’s Plan Part 2: Seek First the Kingdom of God).

After this habit is complete, I am reminded to start my scripture study. Then begins the response. As I know of the reward already in this step (for there are many!), I immediately grab my bible and get to studying.

The portion is small enough that the study can be completed in less than 30 minutes in most cases. It is also important to break tasks and habits up into small chunks. Remember what your parents said, if you try to swallow too much too fast, you will choke.

From this tiny example, you can start to understand how to analyze each of your habits to become aware of the different components. As a first principle, always break up things into first principles!

“Let us consider how we can stir up one another to love. Let us help one another to do good works. And let us not give up meeting together. Some are in the habit of doing this. Instead, let us encourage one another with words of hope. Let us do this even more as you see Christ’s return approaching. What if we keep sinning on purpose? What if we do it even after we know the truth? Then there is no offering for our sins.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭24‬-‭26‬ ‭NIRV‬‬

INTEGRATION

Just as faith without works is dead, so is any idea that never gets translated into action! The integration step, also called the response or routine is where the rubber meets the road. It’s where our awareness becomes action, where our mind meets matter. You get the point.

“It is the same with faith. If it doesn’t cause us to do something, it’s dead. But someone will say, “You have faith. I do good deeds.” Show me your faith that doesn’t cause you to do good deeds. And I will show you my faith by the goods deeds I do.”

‭‭James‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NIRV‬‬

Sticking with our example above on scripture reading, we can easily figure out that once we see that reminder or cue, we need to jump into action. This transition is critical for habit creation and retention. If we allow our thoughts to creep in, then we will convince ourselves of a reason why we should be doing something else. Don’t give yourself an option or out here. The cue should trigger a response and that response should be the action intended.

Doing this again and again and again (for about 60 days) will create enough of a neural pathway (engraving!) that you will begin to integrate this behavior automatically into your daily routine. It will become so automatic as discussed above that you will feel that something is missing without it.

Now pause and reflect for a second how powerful that is…

God created us in this way for a reason. We can harness this power for good. Think of all the godly habits we can integrate into our daily systems as automatic in order to improve our relationship with God and serve Him more and more each day.

Of course, last note as a disclaimer. We need to avoid that these habits become a mindless task, just to check a box. God forbid! We need to be 100% engaged in the present, mindful of these actions as we are doing them. Only the transition from task to task or habit cue to response should become automatic. Think of it in the same way as avoiding bad habits. We should have cues in place such as scripture that once we encounter temptation, we are immediately triggered to respond with scripture. This is yet another example of godly habit integration!

“We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Integration is where the war of the mind is won. Once we have won this war, we can finalize the habit loop with obedience. For this is where we cement our habits with self-control…

OBEDIENCE

In our current secular society, obedience has a negative connotation. The individualist is honored, progressiveness is applauded, and those who don’t conform become magazine covers. When a societal norm or the status quo is challenged, we celebrate. But this was not the case for thousands and thousands of years.

Societies flourished by working together. Law and order served the purpose of both protecting the weak and protecting the wealth created by shopkeepers and entrepreneurs. People gave willingly, served freely on town committees, and helped their neighbors. Now we barely know our neighbors.

I do not think this is a coincidence at all. When obedience falls away, anarchy takes over. The individual is encouraged that their way is the highway. That they know better than the wisdom of old, the wisdom of God.

That is why you won’t find obedience or self control anywhere in habit literature, but you will see why it is so crucial.

Without self control and obedience to God’s law and scripture, habits are meaningless. Meaning they serve a purpose other than that of Gods. And if they serve a purpose other than that of God’s, they will not flourish. They will die on the vine. They are lifeless, destined for waste.

On the other hand, if a habit is aligned with God’s word, it will serve an interconnected system of godly habits, whereby the individual will be honored and prospered. Note the irony!

A prime example is our prayer life. When we seek God first in the day, when we talk to Him, earnestly desire to build a relationship AND LISTEN, this will lead us to other godly habits. It will also feed our desire to read more scripture, join more fellowships, and do more good. It will serve the body and the soul.

It is a habit, once ingrained (or engraved), that will pay dividends, day after day after day. Again, not the purpose of the habits, but a sign of God’s many rewards and blessings!

And this is why obedience is a crucial facet of godly habits. All of our habits and systems must stand the test of scripture!

“Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I like the New International Readers Version here, which states…

“Blessed is the person who obeys the law of the Lord. They don’t follow the advice of evil people. They don’t make a habit of doing what sinners do. They don’t join those who make fun of the Lord and his law. Instead, the law of the Lord gives them joy. They think about his law day and night. That kind of person is like a tree that is planted near a stream of water. It always bears its fruit at the right time. Its leaves don’t dry up. Everything godly people do turns out well.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NIRV‬‬

REWARD & RECAP

Experts such as James Clear & Charles Duhigg expand the key facets of habits far beyond the three mentioned above. The list encompasses varying concepts around the cycle of cue, craving, response, reward. There are many variations of such, but the point is that all habits contain a cycle. And as most everything created follows a cycle, we can see God’s hand here in this psychological and cyclical wonder.

Focusing here on reward, as briefly mentioned several times above, the reward is not the purpose of building godly habits. However, God, like all good fathers, enjoys rewarding His children.

“Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭41‬ ‭NIV‬‬

““Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭9‬-‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“A wicked person earns deceptive wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We should all notice by now how there is a direct correlation between input and output. And garbage in, garbage out! On the contrary, Godly inputs, actions or habits yield godly fruits, reactions, or rewards. Cue the symphony!

I’ve listed the top 10 facets of habits below, so you can start to see how some of the secular wisdom borrows from these concepts. But remember, ONLY that which is tested against scripture will stand the test of time!

LIST OF KEY FACETS OF HABITS

1. Cue
2. Craving
3. Response
4. Reward
5. Repetition / Consistency
6. Environment
7. Identity
8. Ease (Friction)
9. Tracking / Feedback
10. Emotional Association

Godly habit-forming behavior functions in the same way, just with a different purpose. I’ve listed some godly habits to takeaway as homework, but most importantly is to understand the ‘why behind the what.’ Take some time for deep reflection on your motivation behind each habit. If it does not reflect a genuine desire to build your relationship with God and know Him better, it may not be the right habit, or a godly habit at all.

LIST OF EXAMPLE GODLY HABITS

1. Prayer
2. Bible Reading & Meditation
3. Worship
4. Fellowship
5. Obedience to God’s Commands
6. Trust & Faith in God
7. Repentance
8. Evangelism / Discipleship
9. Stewardship
10. Love (last but certainly not least!)

As godly habits start to make up our core systems, routines and identity, it is critical that we continually examine them to hold them up to the Word of God!

“See, the Word of God is alive! It is at work and is sharper than any double-edged sword — it cuts right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart. Before God, nothing created is hidden, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.”

‭‭Messianic Jews (Heb)‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭CJB‬‬

Change your attitude, change your life

Before we begin this section, I’d like you to ponder two quotes and two pieces of scripture. And really take the time to think about this. You don’t need to rush on without grasping what is really being said.

First, scripture:

““You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations. I have suffered much, O Lord; restore my life again as you promised. Lord, accept my offering of praise, and teach me your regulations. My life constantly hangs in the balance, but I will not stop obeying your instructions.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭105‬-‭109‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Second, a few quotes from Tal Ben-Shahar’s book Choose the Life You Want:

•   “The most important decision you make is the attitude you choose toward life.”
•   "Choice is creation. To choose is to create. Through my choices I create my reality. At every moment in my life I have a choice. Moments add up to a lifetime; choices add up to a life. What kind of life do I want for myself? What choices will create this kind of life?"

Now, ever wake up on the wrong side of the bed (i.e. not get good sleep)? Well you have two choices when this happens. Well technically three, one being go back to bed!

But if that’s not an option, you can either choose to be upset about your poor sleep (i.e. react negatively), or you can choose to make the most of it (somebody grab the lemons)!

In other words, many psychologists talk about the concept of ‘reframing.’ For me, reframing is just a fancy, industry term that is another way of changing your attitude about something, your reference point or created perception. Winston Churchill was noted for saying “never let a good crisis go to waste.”

Now that’s not a path I want to go down, but if we think about it, he’s just saying that there is always an opportunity for good, no matter the situation.

The reason we are spending so much time on this here is that habits – which make up our daily routines and ultimately lives – are so much about the choices we make about our attitudes. And not just general attitudes and emotions, but about how we chose specific behaviors.

Take weight loss activity for example. Many people want to start good habits around weight loss, and treating our bodies healthy can certainly serve the will of God! We will have more energy to serve others, and we will be a literal light.

But most of weight loss activity is hard, let’s be honest. Take clean eating for example or walking daily. Starting off perfect is impossible. Sometimes starting off in and of itself seems impossible. But if you change your attitude around it, or reframe the activity, say ‘walking during work calls’ or ‘just walking 100 feet the first week,’ well that seems easy! Choose a better path, create less friction for good choices.

Breaking the elephant up in chunks they call it. But again, not rocket surgery, it’s simply changing our attitude around one small thing – making what seems impossible, possible. Sound familiar? Thanks God!

Back to my poor sleep example. It actually gave me the writing prompt I needed. I could have told myself, “man, I’ll never write anything good today.” The thought indeed crossed my mind. But instead, I captured the thought, made it obedient to Christ, the Word made flesh, and changed my entire attitude about the situation.

Everything is a cycle (I might have mentioned that). And these cycles teach us something if we listen. Sleep cycles, week cycles, emotional cycles, Torah cycles, they are all opportunities for us to learn and respond.

Now think about this in the sense of our habit response or the craving step that James Clear adds. We have to change our attitude around our cravings and motivation. Point them towards scripture and godly ventures!

We also have to consider our overall attitude about habits. We have to look at them as our habit portfolio. It is a system or collection of habits that ultimately forms our daily life and identity. We will always have positive and negative stock movements. Remember, we are HUMAN. Cut yourself some slack and make the first step to change easy! Invest in yourself and enjoy the compound interest!

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. Your children hasten back, and those who laid you waste depart from you. Lift up your eyes and look around; all your children gather and come to you. As surely as I live,” declares the Lord, “you will wear them all as ornaments; you will put them on, like a bride.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭49‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Takeaways to make a way…

1. Everything is a cycle, including habits
2. That which we don’t understand is an opportunity to test & deepen our faith
3. Engrave goodness into your life (regardless of your understanding) until it becomes automatic
4. Break up the impossible into possible godly chunks (and pray)
5. Live for God and you will be blessed and rewarded
6. Try to implement new godly habit each week
7. Reframe your life and turn obstacles into opportunities for growth & godliness

Further Study with your Buddy…

For further reading on Obedience and the godly paradox, read LOL (Love -> Obedience -> Love

Questions for Reflection…

1. What are your good habits and bad habits? Can you make a list?
2. Which of your habits are godly?
3. Do your habits serve His purpose or only yours?
4. What triggers or cues currently exist in your habit portfolio?
5. What are you currently experiencing and viewing as negative that you can reframe?
6. What is something big that you can break up into smaller chunks so it is easy?
7. What small changes can you make today?