Change of Habit

We humans are creatures of Habit.  We tend to find for ourselves patterns of living and then we kind of go into automatic pilot and repeat the process without giving it a lot of thought.  Once we get a number of years behind us we have established certain patterns and we become "set in our ways".  We just accept our habits as being just who we are and often are no longer interested in changing or altering them.


I suppose this is why it is so universally true that we should train up a child in the way they should go and they won't depart from it.  That is both a biblical verse of scripture and something non believers also know is true.  This is why there is such a battle for the hearts and minds of the younger folks because that is where these habits are formed, and once those patterns solidify, the person is then set in their ways and it is difficult to near impossible to change those patterns.


We do know that our patterns can be changed once they have become set, but it takes a strong desire to change them and effort on the part of the person who wants to change.  It also takes a good deal of time to retrain the brain to reset the new habits we want into place, or else we will revert back to the previous mold of habits.


Changing our habits by ourselves is extremely difficult.  It often help if we can surround ourselves with people who hold to the habit we are aspiring to, and friends that will help us hold to our attempted changes.  There are various support groups that can be found to help almost anyone change their habits on nearly anything.  A believer in Jesus should find this in a congregation of other believers.


Sometimes changes are forced upon us.  This is often true with bad habits we may have developed that have led us to places we really did not want to go.  Negative consequences are a great motivator for changing negative behaviors.  The harder habits to change are those that don't really appear to have negative consequences. 


Some of the changes that Christians have a hard time with might involve wanting to pray more regularly, or read the bible daily, or become more involved with the body of believers.  The world will tell us that we can make changes if we reach deep down inside of ourselves and find that inner strength to overcome.  Some have that, others don't, but either way, this won't do anything for eternity. 


Christians can take what it is they want to change and lay it at the foot of the cross and ask the Lord to make the changes within them.  It may be a small thing or a large thing, but we are to submit it to the Lord and He will deliver.  He does not always just take things away though.  Often there is a process God says for us to do.  That process will always include being obedient to His word.  When we spend our time doing the do's of what God has said do, we won't find any time to do the don'ts. 


Romans12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.