Habits for Life

“Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it every day, and at last we cannot break it.”
Horace Mann

When we come to believe in Christ, a new life begins. Our old life was lost, separate from God, in the ways of the sinful world. We were what we were in it, we forged patterns, learned responses, established ways of responding to things from a fallen human point of view. But what of this new person that we are in Christ? Friend, do you ever find yourself reacting to things in the way that old sinful person used to? I know I do.

Behind all sin is unbelief. On the other side of that coin, the new person we've become in Christ is changed by what we know of Him. When we have before us the truth that God sent His only Son to die for us, to pay for our sins so that we who believe in Him can live with Him eternally, that changes our reactions to the fears and frustrations of the day. As the apostle Paul says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17).

This is why it is so important for us to always have Christ in the forefront of our mind, guiding our hearts. Fools that we are, we need to remember what He has done, and that He is always present. This is why we need to be revisiting God's word daily and be in constant prayer. It's easy to remember God in a beautiful church service on a Sunday morning, but less so behind the wheel on East Avenue at 5:15pm on a weekday.

In Romans 12, Paul gives us some helpful instruction on how the Gospel ought to change our behavior. He begins by telling us to present ourselves as living sacrifices, to not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Then he continues:

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo . . . one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:9-21).

Notice that these things are written as commands, things we are to do, which means that in Christ we can do them. This new manner of life is the expression of our new life in Christ. It is the appropriate response to who He is and what He has done for us!

I remember a turning point in my own Christian walk when I lamented over how frequently I fall into the patterns of the old Paul Mathers. And I wondered, “What does this new man even look like?”

That question turned me to my Savior. A dead man can't break the noose from his own neck. Only Christ can raise the dead men that we were into new life. Only He can take out our old dead hearts and give us new ones that love Him and desire to live with Him eternally.

So, look to Him for the transformation only He can give, and from your new heart build new habits in keeping with your new life in Christ. As you do, you will see the new man taking shape.

Pray to the Lord throughout the day, remembering that He is present with us and He hears us. Remember who you're talking to and what He has done for us. And listen to Him! He gave us 66 books about Himself. We do well to be in them continually. Ideally, His Word should be one of the freshest voices in our mind.

We have a job to do with the time we are given here. Jesus Christ calls us to go forth and make disciples. We are to be about His glory and His Gospel. This is the work of the new man. Don't let your old self block out the light.