The Hebrew writer tells us, “We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” What does it mean to drift?
Watch Your Worship Habits and Avoid a Wreck
Have you ever had the fatiguing experience of worshiping with others in a foreign language? If the language is new to you, then everything is so hard– you stumble over syllables, you struggle to keep up with a running translation in your head, everything happens so fast. It is little wonder to me that when God wanted to show that Jesus was raised from the dead that he empowered his disciples to speak so that everyone heard in their own language.
Worship in your native tongue allows you to experience divine presence and respond with deep emotional conviction.
The Habit Connection — Cars & Praise
Anytime that we use words and gestures in an emotion filled context, we respond with and reinforce habits. God made us this way so that we could engage in higher level thinking and feeling without being weighed down with the complexity of the moment.
Think with me more about the habit forming process. When a driver gains experience on the road, traffic patterns are easier to manage. Repetition is a good thing; unless there’s a bad habit. They take all kinds of shapes- we text, or adjust the radio, or use the mirrors to make eye contact with noisy kids in the back seat. Once- might not be a bad thing, but what about habits? In time, we build blind spots and no longer see how dangerous our behavior has become. Read more 
Ten Habit Busters
Here’s a top 10 list of Habit Busters– things you can do this week to break out of routines and become more aware of bad habits that you might have:
10. There is someone in your life that is hard to love. Pray for them at least 3 times this week and do something kind for them.
9. Don’t watch that SHOW! (you know which one)
8. Start building some margin for next week. Find a way to have a little more space in your life where you can be responsive to others (in a good way).
7. Every time you look in a mirror this week smile. Remember that you are loved by God.
6. Remember – it’s insanity to keep doing the same thing over and over and expect different results.
5. Really pay attention to your driving habits. Do you listen to the radio? Do you bark at other drivers? Are you on your cell phone? Do something different while you drive. Be more peaceful.
4. Look up: Take three times this week to look at the stars for 5 minutes. The heavens declare the glory of God. Do you hear the stars as they sing praise?
3. Really listen. Someone will try to talk with you today. Put down your work and everything else that’s on your plate and pay attention. How are you doing with listening?
2. Pray at least 3 times this week about your level of self-control. Then watch out! Expect for things to happen where you will need this fruit of the Spirit.
1. Serve. One of the greatest ways that you can grow is when you do things behind the scenes. Find a person that you can bless. Help them.
If It’s My Habits, Then Is It My Fault
Our habits run in the background and put us on autopilot through great parts of the day. The great advantage, of course, is we don’t have to think about anything involuntary or even good chunks of the voluntary actions of our life. We can be at ease and do pretty complicated things- and many of them at the same time. Though it’s a simple example, while I’m thinking and typing, at about the same time that the words are on my lips, they show up on the page. [That may give you an idea of how slow I actually type!)] It’s great that I no longer have to think about my typing – where the keys are, the patterns, worries about if I make a mistake. I just type and rely on habits.
We don’t need to be shamed that we are habitual creatures. Habits are real and they can be good, unfortunately, they can be bad and even sinful.
One of the great challenges in spiritual formation is to take responsibility for my habits. If I get angry and lash out, or lose the appropriate amount of self-control that I ought to have as a Christian, it is my fault. I can’t blame my culture, or my genes, or bad influence, or tough circumstances. I have to be a follower of Jesus and live as he would desire. I have a responsibility to place my life in right relationship with God so that I cultivate the right kinds of habits. One of the best scriptures that describes what is like to cultivate godly virtues is 2 Peter 1:5-8
Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So tell me what you think? How do change a bad habit?
If you’re running on autopilot, what has to happen in order to start acting in a different way?
Habits and the Illusion of Choice
We live in a land of choice, and we like to think of ourselves as free moral agents. We choose what to wear (or what NOT to wear), our meals, our friends, our work, to go or not go to college. . . we even have choice when it comes to cans of soup
But how much choice do we really have?
Earlier this year, Charles Duhigg published an article for the NY Times that describes how mega-companies like Target gather and utilize statistics to trigger shopping habits. In their analysis, they noted that if a pregnant woman could begin the habit of shopping at their store, they would be a Target shopper for life. Whenever they need something, the first store to come to mind would be Target.
So now Target collects vast amounts of statistical data on shoppers, and they send coupons at key moments so that they can trigger buying.
In one instance Duhigg reported how an infuriated Father stormed into a store complaining that his daughter was receiving mailers about baby clothes and cribs. How dare they send such advertisements to a girl in high school. Somewhat embarrassed, the father later apologized to the store manager, “I had a talk with my daughter,” he said. “It turns out there’s been some activities in my house I haven’t been completely aware of. She’s due in August.”
How much choice do we have?
A study by Duke University suggests that 45% of our daily choices are habitual. We aren’t really thinking – just reacting. This makes sense with what the Bible says about human nature and temptation.
We are people who don’t understand why we do what we do (Romans 7:15). We find another law at work in our bodies and that evil is right beside us (Romans 7:21).
We are really creatures of habit more than we are creatures of choice.
Ask yourself – What has formed (and is forming) my habits? How do I respond to triggers? Am I responsive to the Spirit of God?
