Transforming Faith: The Power of Habit Formation

 

Summary

In today's discussion, I had the pleasure of introducing Dr. Bradley Wright, a sociologist from the University of Connecticut and a dear friend. Our conversation centered around the concept of habit formation within the Christian life, a topic that often gets overshadowed by the "what" and "why" of Christian teachings. While we frequently hear about what we should do as Christians and why we should do it, the "how" is often neglected. This is where Brad's expertise in social science becomes invaluable.

Brad emphasized the importance of making behavior changes easier by forming habits. He explained that habits allow us to perform actions with minimal effort, freeing up our energy for other pursuits. For instance, brushing our teeth is a habitual action that requires little willpower. By making virtuous behaviors habitual, they become second nature to us.

Brad introduced the concept of "tiny habits," a method developed by BJ Fogg, which involves starting with very small behaviors and gradually increasing their complexity. This approach counters the common tendency to take on too much at once, which often leads to frustration and failure. By starting small, success becomes more attainable, and over time, significant transformation can occur.

We also discussed the humility required in recognizing the difficulty of behavior change. It's important to acknowledge our limitations and approach change with patience and persistence. Brad shared personal examples, such as his gradual increase in exercise on the StairMaster, to illustrate the effectiveness of starting small and building up over time.

To conclude, we engaged in a simple habit of prayer, inviting God to guide our minds, hearts, and days. This practice serves as a reminder of the power of small, consistent actions in our spiritual journey.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Importance of "How": In Christian life, understanding how to implement changes is as crucial as knowing what to do and why. By focusing on the "how," we can make meaningful progress in our spiritual journey. [03:08]

2. Habits as Free Behaviors: Habits allow us to perform actions with minimal effort, freeing up our energy for other pursuits. By making virtuous behaviors habitual, they become second nature to us, enabling us to live more Christ-like lives. [05:09]

3. Start Small with Tiny Habits: The concept of "tiny habits" involves starting with very small behaviors and gradually increasing their complexity. This approach helps ensure success and prevents the frustration that comes from taking on too much at once. [06:50]

4. Humility in Change: Recognizing the difficulty of behavior change requires humility. We must acknowledge our limitations and approach change with patience and persistence, understanding that significant transformation takes time. [09:52]

5. The Power of Consistency: Consistent, small actions can lead to significant transformation over time. By starting small and building up gradually, we can achieve lasting change in our spiritual lives. [08:46]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:39] - Introduction to Dr. Bradley Wright
- [01:23] - Friendship and Collaboration
- [02:41] - The Main Thing God Gets from Our Lives
- [03:23] - The Missing "How" in Christian Teachings
- [04:07] - The Role of Habits in Spiritual Growth
- [05:09] - Making Behavior Easier Through Habits
- [06:23] - Introducing Tiny Habits
- [07:33] - The Problem with "Go Hard" Mentality
- [08:04] - Starting Small for Lasting Change
- [09:01] - Humility in Behavior Change
- [10:21] - A Simple Habit of Prayer
- [10:57] - Closing Remarks and Invitation to Engage

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Romans 12:2 - "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."
2. Galatians 6:9 - "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
3. Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

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Observation Questions:

1. What does Dr. Bradley Wright identify as often missing in Christian teachings, and why is it important? [03:08]
2. How does Brad describe the role of habits in making virtuous behaviors easier to perform? [05:09]
3. What is the concept of "tiny habits" introduced by BJ Fogg, and how does it differ from the "go hard" mentality? [06:50]
4. How does Brad illustrate the importance of starting small with his personal example of using the StairMaster? [09:25]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How might Romans 12:2 relate to the idea of habit formation in the Christian life, as discussed in the sermon?
2. In what ways does Galatians 6:9 encourage persistence in forming new habits, and how does this connect to the sermon’s emphasis on patience and humility? [09:52]
3. How does Philippians 4:13 provide a foundation for the belief that we can change our behaviors and form new habits through Christ’s strength?
4. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between humility and the process of behavior change? [09:52]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a habit you have tried to change in the past. What challenges did you face, and how might starting with "tiny habits" have made a difference? [06:50]
2. Identify a small, virtuous behavior you would like to make habitual. What is one tiny step you can take this week to begin forming this habit? [07:33]
3. Consider an area of your life where you have been trying to "go hard" and have faced frustration. How can you apply the principle of starting small to this area? [08:04]
4. How can acknowledging your limitations and practicing humility help you in your spiritual journey and habit formation? [09:52]
5. Think of a consistent, small action you can incorporate into your daily routine to enhance your spiritual life. How will you remind yourself to perform this action each day? [08:46]
6. In what ways can you invite God into your process of habit formation, and how might prayer play a role in this journey? [10:21]
7. How can you encourage someone else in your life to start small with their own habit changes, and what support can you offer them? [11:15]

Devotional

Day 1: Implementing Change in Christian Life
Understanding how to implement changes in the Christian life is as crucial as knowing what to do and why. Often, the focus is on the actions and motivations behind them, but the process of change itself is overlooked. By concentrating on the "how," individuals can make meaningful progress in their spiritual journey. This involves recognizing the steps needed to transform intentions into actions, which can lead to a more fulfilling and Christ-centered life. The journey of spiritual growth is not just about knowing the right things but also about effectively integrating them into daily life. [03:08]

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13, ESV)

Reflection: What is one specific area in your spiritual life where you struggle to implement change? How can you begin to focus on the "how" to make progress in this area today?


Day 2: Habits as Pathways to Virtue
Habits are powerful tools that allow individuals to perform actions with minimal effort, freeing up energy for other pursuits. By making virtuous behaviors habitual, they become second nature, enabling a more Christ-like life. This concept emphasizes the importance of integrating positive habits into daily routines, so they become automatic responses rather than conscious efforts. As these habits take root, they can lead to a more consistent and authentic expression of faith, allowing individuals to live out their beliefs more fully and effectively. [05:09]

"Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." (Romans 12:11-12, ESV)

Reflection: Identify one virtuous behavior you wish to make habitual. What small step can you take today to begin integrating this behavior into your daily routine?


Day 3: The Power of Tiny Habits
The concept of "tiny habits" involves starting with very small behaviors and gradually increasing their complexity. This approach helps ensure success and prevents the frustration that comes from taking on too much at once. By starting small, individuals can build confidence and momentum, leading to significant transformation over time. This method encourages patience and persistence, recognizing that meaningful change is a gradual process. By focusing on manageable steps, individuals can create lasting habits that contribute to their spiritual growth and overall well-being. [06:50]

"Whoever is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much." (Luke 16:10, ESV)

Reflection: What is one tiny habit you can start today that aligns with your spiritual goals? How can you ensure consistency in this small action?


Day 4: Embracing Humility in Change
Recognizing the difficulty of behavior change requires humility. It is important to acknowledge personal limitations and approach change with patience and persistence. Understanding that significant transformation takes time allows individuals to be more forgiving of themselves and others during the process. This humility fosters a mindset of growth and learning, rather than one of perfectionism or immediate results. By embracing humility, individuals can remain open to God's guidance and support as they navigate the challenges of change. [09:52]

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to practice more humility regarding change? How can you invite God into this process to guide and support you?


Day 5: Consistency in Small Actions
Consistent, small actions can lead to significant transformation over time. By starting small and building up gradually, individuals can achieve lasting change in their spiritual lives. This principle highlights the importance of perseverance and dedication in the pursuit of spiritual growth. Small, consistent actions may seem insignificant at first, but over time, they accumulate and result in profound change. This approach encourages individuals to remain committed to their spiritual journey, trusting that their efforts will yield fruit in due time. [08:46]

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9, ESV)

Reflection: What is one small, consistent action you can commit to this week that will contribute to your spiritual growth? How can you remind yourself to stay faithful in this practice?

Quotes


"so what I've been looking at is how to do things or how to make changes because as you say the sermons we hear are fantastic about what we should be doing the world's such a better place if Christians do more even more Christian things and we get a lot of why but the how maybe not so much" [00:03:19]

"so if you think of the umbrella category as how do we change our Behavior there's sort of three answers in social science one you make the behavior easier two you push you work harder and then three you increase your motivation to do it habits is under the make it easier category so if we can make some a behavior a habit then it becomes easy we do it without much energy and then we can use that energy for other things" [00:04:49]

"what I would recommend is a good place to start is the work of a social scientist named BJ Fogg he's at in your neck of the woods and uh based in Stanford and he's come up with this wonderful idea called tiny habits there you go if you order today you get a free set of steak knives and it's been popularized by somebody else who repackages it as atomic habits" [00:06:28]

"the basic idea is that when you try to make a habit start with a very very small Behavior make the small Behavior habits and then increase the size of the behavior so BJ fog tells the story of his own life where he wanted to start doing push-ups more instead of just going as hard as he could each time he just did two push-ups a day which for him was pretty easy and then once that became a habit he made it three and then he made it five then he made it ten" [00:06:58]

"all too often I think we suffer from uh like an the Nike phenomena of go hard go for it just do it and that works great for about a week and then it becomes hard and then we stop it's much better to start really simply and then go from there so for example if you want to start memorizing scripture pick a very short verse and practice it each day for you know two or three times a day for 20 seconds and do that until it's just so easy it's ridiculous then add another" [00:07:27]

"so really I it sounds like then part of the problem is but we want to be deeply transformed because we want to be dramatically different person and uh particularly because we take sin so seriously or try to and want to have it eliminated from our life we actually set ourselves up for failure by trying to fight up more than we can choose and uh chew and accomplish way too much and then we get frustrated because I feel like it just does not work I'm not able to do it so I give all I give up all together" [00:08:02]

"starting small enough so that success is kind of assured is actually critically important and there's kind of a humility to that oh you got everything you've got so many important ideas all in one uh synopsis here's a way to think of it rate how difficult a behavior is how difficult it would be to do something from one to ten ten being all your effort one being you don't even have to think about it" [00:08:36]

"we tend to put ourselves in it about a six or seven when we want to make a big change scale back and make it a two or three but stay with it so there's an old uh saying that we underestimate we overestimate how much we can change in the short term but underestimate how much we can change in the long term I'll give you a simple example I want to start doing the StairMaster as a way to exercise because in Connecticut tried to get cardio during the winter and so I went there and I went on the slow speed for one minute" [00:09:07]

"which is I mean basically climbing a flight of stairs very slowly for a week but now I'm up to 20 minutes really fast but it took several months to do that but I got there and so just that logic of start small and it is a humble thing and the humility is that recognizing behavior is difficult to change we're very limited finite creatures there there's almost a pridefulness to thinking oh I can just change myself especially for those who are older if I've had a behavior that's been a problem for 20 30 50 years" [00:09:31]

"I'm not going to change tomorrow who do I you know that that's just not the way most things work well Brad this is great I hope we get to talk to you more through this because there's a ton of wisdom and uh for everybody who's listening right now we're going to do a real simple small habit and that's just 10 seconds of Prayer so if you're not driving you can close your eyes join Brad and me right now God I take this moment to talk with you I offer you my mind my heart and my day I ask you to leave me do this in Jesus name amen" [00:10:08]

"thank you John it's a real pleasure it's a lot of fun and I happen to be on vacation right now and so you're going to hear roosters in the background I can guarantee you the tropical foliage and the roosters is not part of the Connecticut landscape yeah I I didn't think that global warming had made that much looks a lot more like Hawaii to me the other thing I just want to say from a personal perspective with Brad is uh you know informally we kind of talk about our community as The Fellowship of the withered hand and uh in my own life going through pain and difficulty and Brokenness and hardship and confusion one of the things that I've been so grateful for is knowing with Brad although he's got a brilliant mind he has a kind and compassionate heart and a vulnerable Spirit where I'm able to share with him and he's also able to share vulnerably with me and um Brad I think that's what I'm most grateful for so thank you for uh your heart" [00:01:29]

"thank you so much John you uh you have a gift of bringing out the best in people and this is just another example of it uh I value our friendship so much well that's what we want to talk about today you know we're committed to this notion from Dallas Willard that the main thing God gets out of our life is the person that we become and one of the one of your big concerns as somebody who's both a follower of Jesus deeply spiritual person but also a social scientist is that in the Community of Faith often in churches Christianity in particular we hear a lot about here's what you're supposed to do and often feel overwhelmed by that and sometimes we'll hear about why you're supposed to do it but there's another word that is maybe the most important word that often gets left out that I'm so glad you bring expertise to so tell us what's that third word" [00:02:31]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?