Conquering Bad Habits

and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Deuteronomy 7:2

American author Henry Van Dyke says, ‘As long as habit and routine dictate the pattern of living, new dimensions of the soul will not emerge.’ Habits are like machines; they consistently turn out the same product. They can’t do anything else; they’re designed to produce that specific result. Change requires new behaviors, thoughts, relationships, and a willingness to do battle with old ways of thinking. And that calls for a strong relationship with God!

Upon entering the Promised Land, God told His people to ‘utterly destroy’ their enemies; otherwise, their enemies would live to eventually destroy them. So when God tells you it’s time to declare war on your bad habits, don’t say, ‘Everybody’s doing it,’ or ‘It’s no big deal.’ Anything that keeps you enslaved and prevents you from enjoying the freedom Jesus purchased for you at Calvary is a very big deal. Instead of resisting and making excuses, pray, ‘Lord, show me the root of this problem and how to deal with it. I’m ready for positive change in my life today.’

Have you ever noticed that whenever you have had a mountaintop experience with God, the Enemy is always waiting for you at the foot of the mountain? After their experience on the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus’ disciples were approached by a man whose son was caught in a cycle of self-destruction where ‘frequently he [fell] into the fire and…water’ (Matthew 17:15). Anytime you keep falling into the same traps, making the same mistakes, jumping into the same relationships, getting hooked on the same habits, it’s time to take your problem to Jesus and ask Him to help you. And He will!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me break out of the bad habits that keep me from being what You have intended me to be. In Jesus’ Name, Amen