Habit Change

I was talking with some ladies from my church today about habits.  Habits are long time patterns of behaviors or thinking that become automatic over time.  Unfortunately I have some very bad habits.  Some of which are nearly as old as I am.  It can be hard, very hard, to alter your patterns.  But there is hope.  If you have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you, change is possible.  It is not easy but it is possible. God's Word is full of encouragement for those who want to make things different.  We need to preach truth to ourselves throughout the day. Some of the "stinkin' thinkin'" has been in our heads for so long we don't even know we are thinking at all. The thoughts are there like deep ruts in a rural road.  The thoughts must be rooted out and replaced with new thoughts. II Corinthians 5: 17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

Much of the success in changing habits lies in what you believe about God. His Word tells us what we need to tell ourselves. First, God is completely sovereign, infinitely wise and perfectly loving.  We can trust Him to help us. Tim Chester points out in his book "You Can Change" that He is also good, gracious, great and glorious. That means that God and  not us controls everything. No random molecule in the universe gets past Him. He takes away the fear of man. He is the ultimate source of all good and we can stop looking to other gods to satisfy.  We don't have to join the rat race to prove ourselves to anybody. If you are like me, there are habits to break.  It will take a lot of hard work but God is there as a very present help in times of trouble.  Please pray for me and others as we set out this year to resolve to change some things.