Usually the person doesn’t even know they have formed a habit in their life. And if someone asks they say, “I can quit at any time. This isn’t a problem.”
Daily practices over time become habits that are almost unbreakable. Habits are formed through willful behavior a person has given in so many times to this thing that they are now addicted. This is the reason a habit is so powerful, because it is so unnoticed in its beginnings.
Habits will break your will. Once you have allowed a habit to control you the Bible says, “That habit is your master.” That habit breaks you down to the point where you don’t even try to resist because you feel like you can’t break free. The attitude becomes…Why should I try, I always go back to doing it again. A habit will break your will to fight.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set you free. Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the bondage of slavery.” Gal. 5:1 You might be feeling like you don’t even have the will to fight, because the habit has broken your will. Once a habit has broken your will to fight, you’ll feel a sense of hopelessness. At this point the habit its self owns you because you have allowed it to own you. If you feel like you have lost the will to fight because your will has been broken. That is the power of a bad habit. Bad controlling habits will destroy you and others along with you.
At first a habit seems very harmless; at any time in the early stages you could rid yourself of it. In fact you convince yourself you could stop at any time. Then the habit takes a stronger foothold, advancing a little more taking away a little more of your freedom. Over a period of time that habit like the enemy begins to advance and destroy you.
Here is how you can break free from the grip of a bad habit in your life, from the smallest to the largest? First you must understand what God’s word says in 1 Cor. 10:13 “No temptation has seized you except what is common to all humans, and God is faithful: He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but when you are tempted he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
God lets you know that in every situation with every temptation he provides victory.
Steps to victory:
Admit you have a problem.
Everything starts with confession accepting the responsibility that you have a problem. You cannot win until you know you have a problem.
1Jn.1:9 “If you confess your sin, he is faithful and just and will forgive you of your sins and purify you from all unrighteousness.”
Healing starts with confession. Many people give in to a state of denial, they never admit they have a problem therefore they never break free. The first step is recognizing you are bound and you have a problem that is the first step in breaking free.
Depend on God’s power to combat bad habits. Phil. 4:13 “You can do all thing through Christ which strengths you.” Isaiah. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand.” When it comes to being set free from habits that bind, Jesus can do more in a moment than doctors can do in a lifetime.
God must become your primary source of strength.
Start your days off with God, and he will help you through the day to overcome and show you a way out. The more you allow God to be part of your life the more you will see him working in you.
You have to stop trying to do this by yourself. He did not say go along but said draw near to me. James 4:7
Bad controlling habits must be replaced by good ones.
Num. 33:50-56 “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you live. And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.” In Colossians 3 Live as a Christian in the same manner: throwing away your old way of living and moving ahead into your new life of obedience to God and faith in Jesus Christ.
NEW HABITS TO REPLACE THE BAD ONES
Find support from others.
God says it is absolutely essential for your recovery or healing. You are healed by admitting your faults to one another.
The root of your problem is you lie to each other you deceive each other. You become dishonest with each other. You end up wearing a mask. You pretend you have it together. But you don’t and you then deny your true feelings, and you play games. You end up living with shame and it makes you insecure.
God says revealing your feeling is the beginning of healing. The amazing thing is, when you risk honesty with someone, all of a sudden, this feeling of freedom comes into your life. You realize that everybody has habits and often they have the same one you do.
James. 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
The Bible tells you that you need to bare one another’s burdens.
Take one day at a time.
Matt. 6:11 “Give us this day our daily bread.”
Why? Because God wants to give you enough strength to change you for one day, not for the week, one month, the rest of your life. He wants to take it one day at a time so you trust in Him.
You take a life problem and you break it down into bite size pieces and you work on it one day at a time and you get God’s strength one Day at a time. Any victory, no matter how minor, thank God for it, and you’ll get victory one battle at a time, today is the only day that counts, one day at a time.
• Don’t worry about tomorrow.
• Don’t worry about a week.
• Don’t worry about a month.
• Don’t worry about a year.
• Concentrate on today.
Phil 4:13 “You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you”
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