Breaking habits

PUT AN END TO ANY NEGATIVE HABITS
OR PATTERNS IN YOUR FAMILY HISTORY.

BE THE ONE WHO RISES UP &CHANGES
THINGS!!!

     There are bad habits in every ones lives. For some, they are big, for others they are small. But no matter what they are, they are not good. They speak of our character and I have learned that our character is the only thing we can work hard on and change.

     My family is no different than anyone else's.  We all have habits that we have learned from our elders that keep getting passed down from generation to generation. Some habits are how we identify certain people in our family. "oh here comes________, you know the religious one, late one, fat, skinny, short, tall, you name it, you can honestly put any label in there. There are good habits as well, like being caring, loving, compassionate.  In each family there are both, good and bad habits. So we pick up these habits as we grow up.

     Some habits though are not good ones to pick up. They are habits that speak of our character. They tell people who we are or how we value them. This can be anyone we come into contact with, family, friends, co-workers or complete strangers.  And first impressions only happen once. I am only going to discuss a few habits I am or have struggled with.

     The first one, I am constantly late.  I think about the people I am affecting by being late, but it just never seems to get better. Phillipians 2:4 says, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."  This admonishes me to be considerate of others and to make a better effort to  be on time.  If I am constantly late, it says I do not value the thing or the people I am going to be around. I hate being late but it still seems to be the norm for me.

     How about gossiping. This used to be a big one for me. I wish I could say I never do it, but I am working hard at making it very minimal. I may discuss someone with someone else, but I am making a conscious effort not to make disparaging remarks about them.

     At the time it may seem like fun to all sit around and talk about someone else, but think of this, how would you feel if they were talking about you?  Proverbs 16:28 "A forward man soweth strife; and a whisperer seprateth chief friends."  Gossip is such an easy trap to fall into.  It is critical that you figure out if you are part of the problem with gossip, or part of the solution being gossiped about. If you are neither, then why partake of it.  You don't need gossip in your life because it only brings strife to others. Don't be a part of it. I just politely say, I don't really need to know this and I have other things I need to do.

     Procrastination is another habit I suffer from occasionally.  Its not as bad as when I was younger and I learned while in college, it never pays off. Psalms 119:15-16 "I will meditate in the precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statures; I will not forget thy word. 

     Procrastination is not a habit you want. It can delay or even stop our plans because we keep putting off what we need to do. This can cause us to become lazy in the thing we really wanted or needed to do. It is the opposite of being diligent in our life. I recently have been doing that with exercise. I was doing really good and than I started my new job. I kept putting off my workout until the next day with excuses for why I couldn't do it today. This does not benefit me and has only made  me lazy in that area. That can then bleed into other areas of my life.

     How many times have you heard foul language come out of some ones mouth? When I hear it, I am almost sickened. It is so ugly. And yet, I find myself, every once it a great while, saying one and wishing I could just take it back.  Ephesians 4:22-24 "That ye put off concerning the former conversation of your old self, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."   I strive to live my life and speak in a way that only brings glory and not shame to God. I may not always succeed, but I am working on it.

     I know I will never follow the ten commandments or the new law under the new testament, to a tee.  I will stumble at times, and I will get on my knees and ask for forgiveness.  I know that all people have things they want to work on or change in their lives. I am not put on this earth to judge the behavior of others. As shown above, I have some things in myself that I need to work on.  The best I can do in my life is to keep my eyes on Jesus and walk with the Spirit.  By walking in the Spirit rather than in my flesh, I will choose the good things.

     I will struggle and fight each and every day with my sin nature. But I know where to find my strength, in the Holy Spirit.  It is not a good thing that we walk around talking about or judging others because of what they have said or done. I need only look after my own thoughts, words and deeds.  In this, I can find freedom and peace, even when all around me is in chaos.

     Galatians 5:15-17 "But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.  But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.  For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another so that you may not do the things you please."