Usually

"Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?  then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." Jeremiah 13:23

Good morning, dear friends!

Photo:  stevebidmead pixabay

I have been thinking a lot lately about habits.

Good habits.

Bad habits.

Healthy habits.

Annoying habits.

My children's habits.

My husband's habits.

My habits.

I had always heard that it took at least three weeks to form a habit.  In doing some research for a French blog post, I found out that many habits take over two months to become automatic.  Some larger habits like quitting smoking or exercising, take over 200 days to become a habit.

I don't know what the average time is for forming a habit for me, but there is one thing that I have observed in my life:

It's much easier to create a habit, than to change an old one.

This year with the Lord's help I have been focusing on my habits.  What have I made automatic in my life?  Are they "good" habits, or are they "bad" habits?  Have I gotten lazy in doing what is right, or am I exercising self-control in my life?

Many times, I have let bad habits replace my good ones.  It's so much harder to clean house, spiritually speaking, than to just strengthen up the habits that are already in place.

So, so much work to be done.

As I was reading in Jeremiah this week, my attention was caught by the verse at the top of this blog, from Jeremiah 13:23.  The obvious answer to both questions is certainly no.  An Ethiopian cannot change the color of his skin, any more than a leopard can change his spots.  That must mean, that the second part of the verse is equally true:  those who are accustomed to doing evil, cannot do good.

For me, that means, that I cannot continue in bad habits and hope to have anything good come out of them.

I cannot neglect my Bible reading or prayer time, and expect to be a stronger Christian.

I cannot continually eat junk and neglect my body and expect it to be strong through physically challenging days.

I cannot have the habit of saying yes to sin, or at the very least, not saying no, and expect that I will stand firm in convictions "when the rubber meets the road."

I cannot be lazy where my family is concerned, and expect a healthy, loving, Christ-centered peaceful home life.

A habit is something that I do without really thinking about it.  If a bad habit is in my life, it is because I have not been vigilant in an area of my life, enough to pay attention to keep it under a spirit filled self-control.

I am so thankful for the many passages in the Bible that remind me that while changing a bad habit is difficult, it is not impossible.  There is a beautiful passage in I Kings 8:46-50, in which Solomon "reminds" God of His promises to His people, and that if the people when they sin will return to the Lord, that He will forgive them.  What a blessing to know, that when I stray, I must repent, but God is right there waiting to receive me to Himself.  I do not have to go looking for Him; I just have to have a change of heart.

May the Lord help me today to stay close to Him.  When I am confronted with a bad habit or sinful attitude in my life, may the Lord give me grace to come to Him in repentance, and make the changes needed so that I may live a life pleasing to Him today.

Bad habits are not forever.  They were formed, and can be changed, and be replaced with something better...