The Bible says we are to confess our sins to one another. Therefore, I am going to confess a sin of mine to you this morning. In fact, it has become a habit. I feel comfortable confessing a habit of mine to you because I suspect that all of us are subject to this habit. The habit of mine is called lying.
I’m not talking about whoppers and dozzies. I am talking about that little white lie we tell to get out of doing something or covering up for something. Often we tell them to keep from hurting someone.
Two students were taking organic chemistry at the university. Having done well in their work and labs, they were both going into the final exam with solid A's.
So far, so good. Trouble was, they were so confident that they decided to party the night before the big test. It was a great night; one thing led to another, and they ended up sleeping late the following morning. They missed the exam! Disasterville!
They went to see the professor immediately. One of them began to lie that they had been visiting a sick, out-of-town friend the night before. On the way home, they had a flat tire. With no spare tire and no car jack, they were stranded. They could only manage to hitch a lift back to town midmorning, which is why they missed the test. They were really sorry to have missed the exam, and wondered whether they might be able to take a makeup exam. The professor asked the other student if this story was correct. He assured him it was.
The professor thought about it for a moment and decided that he would give them a make-up oral exam. Sitting them across the room from each other with their backs to each other, he began.
“Question number 1 worth 5 points. ‘What is the compound H2O?’ Of course, the answer is water.
He continued. “Question number 2 worth 95 points. ‘Which tire went flat?’”
We have found a freedom in Jesus that helps alleviate our guilt when we sin. It is true that we are not perfected. It is true that our sins are forgiven and forgotten when we repent. But we must guard against sins becoming so embedded in us that they become habits.
This is not a new problem. Paul was dealing with a bad habit in the church in Corinth that by all indications dealt with sexual immorality becoming habitual.
1 Corinthians 6:12 “You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’ —but not everything is good for you. And even though ‘I am allowed to do anything,’ I must not become a slave to anything.”
There are good habits and there are bad habits. God has given us the freedom to develop whatever kind of habit we desire. But not every habit is good for us. And whether it is a good or bad habit, we must not allow it to master us.
We are a creature of habit. We usually begin our mornings with the same routine and end our days likewise. We usually eat at a certain time. Go to work at a certain time. Buy groceries on a certain day. We enjoy our habits.
Our habits can form us though. And when they are bad habits, they can be detrimental to our viewpoint of ourselves.
“A man and his wife were shopping at a mall and a shapely young woman in a short, form-fitting dress strolled by. The man’s eyes followed her. Without looking up from the item she was examining, his wife asked, ‘Was it worth the trouble you’re in?’”
When we have bad habits we must ask ourselves “Is it worth the trouble?”
I was studying the top bad habits that plague people in our society. Some of those bad habits I am guilty of committing. I would venture that you are also.
Overspending. It’s easy to charge things with the intent to pay later. Some things are necessary to pay that way; for instance buying a house or a car. But we mostly use credit to satisfy our need for instant gratification. And we soon find ourselves in financial trouble. Or we get an unexpected check in the mail or a bonus from work, and rather than bank it for emergencies, we spend it on items that are not necessities but rather pleasure.
We soon find ourselves worried about our finances. We live from week to week, worried that something will happen that will cause us financial ruin. And in the midst of these worries, we are unhappy because we were not able to feed our latest desire for a possession.
Addiction to tobacco and alcohol. To keep it simple I just researched the cost of smoking. If a person smokes less than ½ pack a day, they spend an average of $1500 a year or $30,000 in twenty years. A person who smokes one pack a day will spend $5000 a year or $100,000 in 20 years. If I were still smoking, I would be spending $15,000 a year. I am glad I quit. Of course this does not take into account any medical bills caused by smoking.
Imagine what you could do with that money to make yourself happier. Perhaps you could take a trip somewhere. Or buy something you have always wanted.
Other bad habits included multi-tasking, trying to balance too many things at the same time. Social media, relating to others through texting and Facebook as opposed to actual contact. Overeating because you love the taste of food and not just because you are hungry. Nail biting, which is brought on by all the stress from all the other bad habits.
So what are we to do? 1 Corinthians 10:13 “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”
Whatever bad habit you are facing, you are not the first person to face it. Others have faced it and overcame. Whatever bad habit you have, it’s not more than can overcome. God has a plan for you to overcome your bad habits and He will show you how through others who overcame and through his word.
But you must identify the root of your bad habit. What is the cause of this bad habit? Next, realize, you cannot break this habit. You must replace this habit. Do not dwell on your bad habit. Instead, do as the Bible says. “Dwell on things that are pure, things that are wholesome, things that are of a good report.”
We are to endure until we overcome our bad habits. Bad habits come easy. Good habits come from hard work. God has promised us his faithfulness to see us through our battle.
I was at a coffee shop recently listening to a group of senior citizens going through their complaints about their weakening bodies: "My arms are so weak I can hardly lift this cup of coffee," said one. "Yes, I know, my cataracts are so bad I can’t even see my coffee," replied another. "I can’t turn my head because of the arthritis in my neck," said a third, at which several others nodded weakly. "My blood pressure pills make me very dizzy," another went on. "I guess that’s the price we pay for getting old," winced an old man. There was general agreement and a short moment of silence ensued. "Well, it’s not that bad," said one woman cheerfully. "Thank God we can all still drive!"
Matthew 26:41 “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
It would be great if bad habits just went away. I have not smoked in almost thirty years but sometimes that desire will still come up. I have learned to put it down but we must be careful.
As I have already stated we must identify the root of our bad habit. Next, we must identify what is keeping us from doing something about it.
There is a battle being waged in each of us. It is the battle between our spirit wanting to do what God is ordaining us to do and ourselves wanting to do what we want to do. It is the battle of bad habits against good habits. We are willing to make changes but the habits seem to be so strong that we find ourselves pulled back in. What are we to do?
First, we guard ourselves against falling back into bad habits. It might mean cutting up credit cards. Or not buying tobacco products. Or not bringing the wrong types of food into the house.
Next, we pray for God’s help. We cannot rid ourselves of bad habits on our own. We need God to encourage us through his Spirit, his Word, and his people to help us overcome.
Yogi Berra was a famous New York Yankees player, manager, and coach. He was also known for his famous quotations. Such as;
"Nobody goes to that restaurant any more -- it's too crowded."
"If people don't want to come out to the ball park, nobody's going to stop them."
Someone asked Yogi what time it was; he said, "You mean now?"
Yogi was asked his philosophy of life: "When you get to a fork in the road, take it."
"I don't want to make the wrong mistake."
"You can see a lot by watching."
"If you don't know where you're going, you'll end up somewhere else."
It’s that last quote that really holds a lot of truth. To achieve your desire of ridding your self of bad habits, you must have a goal. You must know with what you are going to replace your bad habit. And you must have a plan on developing your good habits. Here is how the Apostle Paul put it.
Philippians 3:13-14 “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
We may continue to slip into bad habits. As we strive to make positive changes in our lives, do not dwell on the failures. Do not decide that it is too hard to overcome. Remember what you have heard today. God has a plan to help you overcome. God will be there through prayer as you develop new habits to replace the old ones.
Do not focus on your bad habits. Instead, focus on what your new habits will bring. Begin imagining how it will feel to be free of debt. How it will feel to begin having extra money. Begin to plan a nice trip somewhere. Or a possession that you have longed to have. Imagine yourself enjoying a life with less stress. Picture yourself in the mirror looking healthier. Each day notice improvements in your life. Keep looking forward.
God wants you to be happy. The Bible says a glad heart makes a happy face. He desires for you to have a glad heart. The Bible says for the happy heart, life is a continual feast. God designed our lives to be a buffet of joy and contentment. The Bible says that God stated, “Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this!” He wants us to enjoy the world and the life He has provided for us.
Bad habits can rob us of these happy moments. Good habits can replace them. Press on to rid yourself of these bad habits and reclaim your happiness.
And do this one thing. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 “Always be joyful.” Three little words that hold the secret to filling good about yourself.
Alexander M. Sanders, Jr., is the Chief Judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals. When his daughter Zoe graduated from the Univ. of South Carolina in 1992, he told this story that happened what she was just three years old.
Sanders came home from work one day to find his home – and especially his young daughter – in a state of turmoil. Zoe’s pet turtle had died and she was crying as if her heart would break. Zoe’s mother had been dealing with the situation all day and declared that it was now Dad’s turn to try to make things better.
The task of explaining death to a three-year-old was completely beyond either his confidence or experience. But he tried.
First, he told Zoe that they could go to the pet store and buy another one just like the one who had died. Even at three years old, Zoe was smart enough to know that a turtle is not a toy. There’s really no such thing as getting another one just like the one who died. And so Zoe’s tears continued.
Desperate to quiet his little girl’s tears, he said, "I tell you what, we’ll have a funeral for the turtle."
Being three years old, she didn’t know what a funeral was.
He said, "A funeral is like a birthday party. We’ll have ice cream and cake and lemonade and balloons, and all the children in the neighborhood will come over to our house to play. All because the turtle died."
Well, the prospect of a turtle funeral did the trick. Instantly, Zoe was her happy, smiling self. The turtle’s death was no longer cause for tears, but reason to rejoice!
So, with visions of cake and ice cream in their heads the two beamed down on the deceased turtle lying at their feet. As they did, the turtle began to move. And a few seconds later, he was crawling away.
With the turtle alive there would be no need for a funeral. After considering her options, she looked up at her father with her big beautiful eyes and – with all the innocence of her tender years – she said quietly, "Daddy, LET’S KILL IT."
Joyful in life. Joyful in death. That’s what we are called to be. Happiness is built on your circumstances. Joy is built of your relationship. As you battle your habits, never loose your joy. Remember that God has the plan for you in his hands. Keep your eyes forward and your goal in front of you. And strive until you achieve your freedom from bad habits.
