How Your Habits Shape Your Heart: Justin Whitmel Earley

December 2, 2025

What do your everyday habits—your screen time, your schedule, your workload—have to do with your spiritual life? In this two-part conversation, Jonathan sits down with Justin Whitmel Earley author of The Common Rule, Habits of the Household, and his newest book, The Body Teaches the Soul. In Part 1, Justin shares how a season of crippling anxiety and mental collapse as a young lawyer forced him to reconsider everything he thought he knew about discipleship, the body, and the habits that quietly shape our lives. Justin tells the story of moving from missionary work in China to corporate law in the United States and how, even with solid theology and a half-finished seminary degree, he found himself preaching a gospel of peace while his body was a wreck of anxiety. That crisis became the doorway into discovering how God uses ordinary, physical habits to form us spiritually. Together, Jonathan and Justin explore why what you repeatedly do, often without thinking, matters more than you realize, and how the “liturgies” of our phones, work lives, and cultural moment either draw us toward Christ or away from Him. About Justin Whitmel Earley Justin Whitmel Earley is a lawyer, speaker, and author whose work focuses on how habits and disciplines shape our spiritual, emotional, and relational lives. He is the author of: The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms The Body Teaches the Soul: How Your Physical Life Shapes Your Spiritual Life Justin lives in Richmond, Virginia with his wife and four sons. Giving Tuesday with Leading The Way If Candid Conversations has encouraged your faith or helped you think more deeply about following Jesus in today’s world, would you prayerfully consider supporting Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef this Giving Tuesday? Candid is a ministry of Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef, a listener-supported ministry, and your generosity helps us bring Gospel-centered Bible teaching, discipleship resources, and outreach to people around the world. This Giving Tuesday, your gift can make an even greater impact. To partner with us, visit: ltw.org/donate Follow & share Candid Conversations on social media: Instagram: @candidpod TikTok: @officiallycandidpod YouTube: @CandidPod