We are creatures of habit

We are creatures of habit.  According to statistics it takes 1 1/2 months to create a habit and just as long to break the habit.  When we become Christians we are transformed.

Romans 12:1-2

Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

So we see that we are to be not of the world but transformed by renewing our minds.  I will never forget when I asked my pops “why do negative things keep happening to me?” his response was basically the same as what we just read in Romans.  I needed to change my way of thinking ..my habits.  It needed to be what God desired for me and not my own desires.  I needed to live for God and not live or think in the manner the world does.

Change in my life is what needed to happen.  The music, how I responded to things or situations.  Even friends or places I enjoyed needed to change.  To completely transform myself in a manner that was pleasing to God.  It didn’t happen in a day or a month.  I have spoken openly in my blog about my struggles.

The love that God has for us can not be compared to any other kind of love I have ever known.

John 3:16

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Changing ourselves our habits is not always easy to do we have struggles and the enemy likes to tempt us.  It seems the closer we get in our walk the more the enemy is trying to stand in our way.  It should be easy to just commit our lives to our Heavenly Father and our Lord and everything  just fall into place.  That is where our Faith and believing that know matter what temptation comes before us or trial the strength in Christ and the Holy Spirit with in us will pull us through it.

1 Corinthians 10:13

¹³ No temptation^[a] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted^[b] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,^[c] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

In that verse it even promises that when we are tempted HE will provide a way out so that we can endure it.  We all have our struggles we are not perfect.  Some struggle with addictions to drugs, alcohol. sex, pornography and some struggle with anger, bitterness, the unforgiving heart.  Some struggle with depression, Bi-polar, Schizophrenia, self cutting, many different things  that stand in our way of truly understanding the blessings God has for us all.

We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. This includes changing to please Him. If we trust our own strength, we will fail. Satan can defeat us. If we use Christ’s strength we will succeed, because Satan can never defeat Him. Perhaps we have failed in the past because we have trusted our own power instead of Christ’s.

One thing a dear friend of mine and I started doing some time ago before he passed away is we was reading the bible together but each week we would memorize a new verse from the bible.  Those verses have helped me because some of them was about anger and what God says about it.  So I would say those verses in my head instead of getting caught up in the moment of what was upsetting me.  It is when I call upon our lord and the wisdom of Gods word to pull me threw that I have beaten the enemy but it is when I give in to my anger that I am pleasing the enemy and that is not glorifying God. Repenting of sin is required of us.

Acts 8:22

²² Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.

Yes He knows our heart better than anyone does.  However we still must repent and ask for forgiveness of our sin.  We can just assume because he knows our heart that it will just be overlooked.  God commands that we repent.

Ephesians 4:22-32

²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

²⁵ Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. ²⁶ “In your anger do not sin”^[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ and do not give the devil a foothold. ²⁸ Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Prayer is one of the most powerful gifts given to us along with the Armor of God.  We must be diligent in our prayer.  God may know our hearts,desires but he wants us to come to him to show humility and be humble.  Understanding that God will answer our prayers in His time not ours. You may look at mature Christians and think, “Why can’t I be like them?” But they probably took years to mature. Do not be impatient with yourself.

May God bless you and keep you safe!