HABITS – Breaking Bad

Have you ever said I am going to eat healthier? No more desserts for me and then out comes the cheesecake and out goes the resolve. Or, I am going to begin to run every day. But we do not. I am going to curtail my TV time and read more, but we never do. It is said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Why is it that one can get really motivated for a healthy change, make all kinds of promises to self, just to fall flat on one’s face in defeat? It is probably not because you are lazy, undisciplined, or have weak character. No, it is something else entirely.

It is as simple as the habits we have formed in our life. We develop a rhythm of living. It is how we roll. Our brain will create a groove, a method of functioning so we can go through life without processing every action and reaction. When we first learn a new technique or activity, we go through a set of steps in the brain to master the skill. Once learned, we can do it without thinking. Things as simple as locking the door when you leave the house. It is routine, we do it without thinking. We are five blocks down the road and then we wonder, did we lock the door or not. We cannot remember doing it. So we go back to the house and sure enough, the door is locked. It is a habit we have formed and once formed, it is now a rhythm in our routine. This is true for good habits like brushing your teeth before bed and also true for having that smoke before hitting the pillow. Our day-to-day activity is mostly habits we have formed. Some are good some are bad. When we attempt to break a habit we do not want in our life, we find it next to impossible. Some habits people struggle with such as biting nails, yelling at the kids, masturbation, drinking too much, smoking and gaming can feel like we are tethered to it by an unbreakable chain. Not true. It is possible to break any habit.

This Sunday I am starting my series on Habits. I will be giving practical and doable suggestions that will work so you can break any negative habit that has enslaved you. God is not mad at us for having a bad habit. He actually wants to help us to live healthy, feel good about ourselves, and grow spiritually. The promise is clear, “I can do everything through him (Christ) who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 God strength and the principles I will share with you, will have the ability to break the chain of any negative habit. This series on Habits has the potential of revolutionizing our lives. I am very excited about what God is going to do in and through us in the coming weeks.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday.