Are You a Creature of Habits?

“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.”
(Romans 7:15)

The Apostle Paul was a new creature in Christ, yet even he struggled with his old habits. In most he was victorious, but initially he was still losing some battles in his spiritual warfare. His struggle was typical. It is hard to break old habits.

To the world you may be one person, to one person you may be the world. Therefore, search the Scripture to find out just what God desires of you. You can’t do it by imitation, but by incarnation. Philippians 2:13 speaks of the “God which works within you.” Our word “energy” comes from the Greek word translated “works.” In other words, God energizes you. Realizing your energizing God lives inside you helps overcome any tendency toward laziness. 

Principally God uses three things to energize us.

• The Bible is a primary source. First, you must appreciate it enough to learn it. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15) Not only do you have to appreciate it, you must appropriate it. This means to make it your standard for life. It will help guide you in forming good habits and breaking some old bad ones. Thirdly, you must apply it, that is live by it.

• Prayer can be a marvelous way to engage with God in forming good habits.

• Suffering. Yes, the Bible speaks of the “fellowship of His suffering.” It is an unsurpassed factor in bringing us back to the Bible and prayer.

I had a letter from a young person who had been working with youth all summer. She said what she wanted to do was inspire them to chase after God all of their life. You might phrase it differently, but that is really what we should do. 

“The Greatest Salesman in the World,” authored by Og Mandino makes this statement regarding forming habits. “I will form good habits and become their slave.” He reached this conclusion, ”In truth, the only difference between those who have failed and those who have succeeded lies in the difference of their habits.”

As you unfold an area of life requiring obedience, pause and commit yourself to doing it. Ask the Lord to help you become so familiar with it that it will become an instinctive habit. Consider starting by listing four new habits you know you need to form. Then concentrate on developing only one for a week. Then the second week concentrate on developing the second, and so on.

Now the fun begins by you praying, “Lord help me to be all you can help me become. Please energize me.”