Are our habits keeping us from being the Christians we should be. We all have a comfort zone in which we operate, and habits form in that sphere – positive, negative, and neutral. These comfortable habits can be difficult to change, but, if they are keeping us from God, we must find the resolve to make those changes. In changing patterns, we may be able to move outside our comfort zone and accomplish more than we have.

Developing and Changing Habits

When we were growing up, we were taught a specific set of values and practices. We may have learned certain Bible foundations – the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, the Golden Rule, Psalm 23. We have learned to emulate or avoid behaviors we saw in others, but I Corinthians 15:33 warns us that incorrect influences can negatively impact us. However, good influences can be equally as powerful.

I Peter 1:13-14 tells us to be willing to change, but change takes time. We need to be patient with ourselves as we try to improve ourselves, and we should avoid becoming frustrated with ourselves and God while undergoing this progress.

From I Samuel 17:32, we see David developing a habit of trusting in God (Philippians 4:13), and this would be a habit to serve him well throughout his life. Joash, in II Kings 11, began his life surrounded by good influences despite the bad situations that brought him to power, and Daniel, in Daniel, in the first chapter of his book, avoided bad influences while trying to be a good influence on those around him (Hebrews 3:13).

How do we talk to each other? How do we behave around each other? What do we allow to influence us (friends, media, etc.)? Our behavior habits both reflect and influence our deeper attitude, and we have to move beyond those habits to improve ourselves as Christians. Small things can influence us, and we may not even be aware of the influence we allow other people and things have on us. I Corinthians 13:5 encourages us to continually examine ourselves, and James 1:19 describes behaviors that we should be willing to give up in favor of being the Christians we should be. By checking ourselves, we can see where we need improvements and what progress we have made.

Conclusion

Our habits and attitudes today will determine the kind of person we are tomorrow and how we face problems. We should emphasize the good habits and influences in our lives so we can be the Christians we want to be.

lesson by Mike Mahoney