Day six
“How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to your word. With all my heart I have sought you; do not let me wander from your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against you.” Ps. 119:9-10
My husband and I have always struggled with night time snacking, we just love winding down at the end of the day with a good tv show or movie and bowl of ice cream or popcorn. So eliminating that from our routine has been a challenge of its own. So we’ve been drinking a lot of water and tea at night and the Leptilean pills have been helpful, too. It is still pretty hard, though, because it has become a habit. When we don’t do it, we feel like something is off and we are unsettled. I know, pretty pathetic, right? It’s the truth, though. Realizing this truth, as painful as it is, just motivates me to overcome it and create a more healthy habit. I believe the Christian walk is the same way- we create sinful habits that our destructive to abundant life that God planned out for us. Then when we decide to fully surrender to following Jesus and be obedient to his will, we find ourselves struggling with those old habits. Paul describes it very well and I’ve found that The Message version of this part of scripture was very helpful in making less confusing. “I can anticipate the response that is coming: “I know that all God’s commands are spiritual, but I’m not. Isn’t this also your experience?” Yes. I’m full of myself—after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary. But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. (Romans 7:14-25) We try so hard to be the person God is calling us to be, but we forget that “apart from Him, we can do nothing.” We can’t muster up enough ‘spiritual power’ to make ourselves obedient to his will. That can only come from spending time with him and continually seeking him. This is why God instructed Joshua in this way, “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7-9
So, my encouragement to you today is not let the challenge be just a checklist of do’s and don’ts, use it as an opportunity to let go of your old unhealthy habits and start making habits that are constructive, beneficial and glorifying to God.
Today’s Exercise: Make a habit list
Get a sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle. On one side, write “Old” at the top and on the other side, write “New” at the top. On the Old side of the page, write down some of the habits that you would like to change and on the New side, write down what habits you would like to take on instead. Then spend some time in prayer asking God for his help in doing this. Just remember that you can’t do this all this on your own strength and will power but “with God, everything is possible.” (Mat. 19:26)