Transforming Habits: Aligning Life with God's Purpose

 

Summary

In our journey to make a mark in this world, we must consider the power of habits. God designed us to automate much of our lives through habits, which can be both a blessing and a challenge. The question we must ask ourselves is whether our habits serve us or if we are serving them. Thomas Aquinas emphasized the importance of cultivating holy habits, aligning our daily routines with our values to lead a transformed life. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to spur one another on to good deeds, reminding us not to forsake meeting together, as habits can either guide us toward or away from our purpose.

E. Stanley Jones, a remarkable Christian leader, highlighted the significance of three foundational habits: reading scripture, praying, and teaching others. These habits were integral to Jesus' life and remain relevant today. They are essential for any believer seeking to live a life aligned with God's will. Jones also warns against habits that cannot be Christianized, as they can lead us astray.

I shared a personal journey of overcoming a nervous habit of picking my nails, which I struggled with for years. Through Charles Duhigg's insights on habit formation, I learned the importance of identifying the stimulus and reward associated with a habit. Instead of relying solely on willpower, I replaced the habit with a more positive behavior, which brought about change. However, during challenging times, old habits can resurface, reminding us of the need for continual vigilance and reliance on God.

In moments of anxiety or stress, I found solace in the scripture, "Be still and know that I am God." This verse invites us to experience a deeper peace and to allow God to transform even the smallest aspects of our lives. By going public with our commitments to change, we can hold each other accountable and encourage one another in our spiritual journeys. Let us strive to align our habits with God's calling, making a meaningful impact in the world.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Power of Habits: Our lives are significantly shaped by our habits, which can either serve us or enslave us. By aligning our habits with our values, we can lead a transformed life that reflects God's purpose for us. [00:57]

2. Foundational Spiritual Habits: Reading scripture, praying, and teaching others are foundational habits that Jesus exemplified. These practices are essential for any believer seeking to live a life aligned with God's will. [04:12]

3. Overcoming Negative Habits: Changing a habit requires more than willpower; it involves understanding the stimulus and reward associated with it. By replacing negative habits with positive ones, we can experience lasting change. [06:10]

4. The Role of Community: Sharing our commitments to change with others can provide accountability and encouragement. By supporting one another, we can spur each other on to good deeds and spiritual growth. [09:58]

5. Finding Peace in God: In moments of anxiety or stress, we are invited to be still and know God. This deeper peace allows us to experience God's presence and transformation in our lives, even in the smallest habits. [09:42]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:31] - The Importance of Habits
- [00:57] - Sin in Our Habits
- [01:12] - Holy Habits and Values
- [01:41] - Encouragement and Community
- [02:07] - Identifying Habits to Change
- [02:49] - E. Stanley Jones on Habits
- [03:19] - Jesus' Foundational Habits
- [04:12] - Modern Relevance of Spiritual Habits
- [05:07] - Personal Journey with Habits
- [06:10] - Understanding Habit Formation
- [07:18] - Replacing Negative Habits
- [08:11] - Resurfacing of Old Habits
- [09:11] - Finding Peace in God
- [10:34] - Encouragement to Make a Mark

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Hebrews 10:24-25 - "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
2. Psalm 46:10 - "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Observation Questions:
1. According to the sermon, what role do habits play in our lives, and how can they impact our spiritual journey? [00:43]
2. What are the three foundational habits that E. Stanley Jones highlights as essential for a believer's life? [04:12]
3. How did the pastor describe his personal journey with overcoming a nervous habit, and what strategy did he use to change it? [06:10]
4. What does the writer of Hebrews encourage believers to do in terms of community and habits? [01:29]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How might aligning our habits with our values lead to a transformed life, as suggested by Thomas Aquinas? [01:12]
2. In what ways do the foundational habits of reading scripture, praying, and teaching others help believers align with God's will? [04:12]
3. How does the pastor's personal story illustrate the challenges and strategies involved in overcoming negative habits? [06:10]
4. What does the invitation to "be still and know that I am God" mean in the context of finding peace and transformation in our lives? [09:42]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current habits. Are there any that you feel are not serving you well? What steps can you take to align them with your values and God's purpose for your life? [00:57]
2. Consider the three foundational spiritual habits mentioned in the sermon. Which of these do you find most challenging to maintain, and how can you incorporate it more consistently into your daily routine? [04:12]
3. Think about a negative habit you want to change. What is the stimulus and reward associated with it, and what positive behavior could you replace it with? [06:10]
4. How can you leverage your community to support your commitments to change? Is there someone you can share your goals with for accountability and encouragement? [09:58]
5. In moments of stress or anxiety, how can you practice being still and knowing God? What practical steps can you take to invite God's peace into those moments? [09:42]
6. Identify a habit that you believe cannot be Christianized. What steps can you take to eliminate or replace it with a habit that aligns with your faith? [04:27]
7. How can you encourage others in your community to develop holy habits? What role can you play in spurring one another on to good deeds? [01:29]

Devotional

Day 1: Aligning Habits with Divine Purpose
Our lives are significantly shaped by our habits, which can either serve us or enslave us. By aligning our habits with our values, we can lead a transformed life that reflects God's purpose for us. Habits are powerful because they automate much of our daily actions, allowing us to focus on more significant matters. However, this automation can be a double-edged sword. If our habits are not aligned with our values and God's purpose, they can lead us astray. The challenge is to evaluate whether our habits serve us or if we are serving them. By intentionally cultivating habits that reflect our values, we can live a life that is more in tune with God's calling. [00:57]

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2, ESV)

Reflection: Identify one habit in your life that does not align with your values. What steps can you take today to begin transforming this habit to better reflect God's purpose for you?


Day 2: Embracing Foundational Spiritual Practices
Reading scripture, praying, and teaching others are foundational habits that Jesus exemplified. These practices are essential for any believer seeking to live a life aligned with God's will. E. Stanley Jones emphasized the importance of these spiritual habits, noting that they were integral to Jesus' life and remain relevant today. By incorporating these practices into our daily routines, we can cultivate a deeper relationship with God and align our lives with His will. These habits are not just rituals but are transformative practices that shape our character and guide us toward a life of purpose and meaning. [04:12]

"And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." (Deuteronomy 6:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: How can you incorporate the habits of reading scripture, praying, and teaching others into your daily routine this week? What specific time and place will you dedicate to these practices?


Day 3: Transforming Negative Habits
Changing a habit requires more than willpower; it involves understanding the stimulus and reward associated with it. By replacing negative habits with positive ones, we can experience lasting change. The process of habit transformation involves identifying the triggers and rewards that maintain a habit and finding healthier alternatives that fulfill the same need. This approach, as highlighted by Charles Duhigg, allows for a more sustainable change than relying solely on willpower. It is important to remain vigilant, as old habits can resurface during challenging times, reminding us of the need for continual reliance on God. [06:10]

"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." (Colossians 3:5, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a negative habit you struggle with. What is the trigger and reward associated with it? What positive habit can you replace it with starting today?


Day 4: The Strength of Community Support
Sharing our commitments to change with others can provide accountability and encouragement. By supporting one another, we can spur each other on to good deeds and spiritual growth. The writer of Hebrews reminds us of the importance of community in our spiritual journeys. When we go public with our commitments, we invite others to hold us accountable and encourage us in our efforts to align our lives with God's will. This communal support is vital in overcoming challenges and staying committed to our spiritual goals. [09:58]

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your community can you share your commitment to change with? How can you support each other in your spiritual journeys this week?


Day 5: Finding Stillness and Peace in God
In moments of anxiety or stress, we are invited to be still and know God. This deeper peace allows us to experience God's presence and transformation in our lives, even in the smallest habits. The scripture "Be still and know that I am God" serves as a reminder to pause and seek God's presence amid life's chaos. This stillness is not just about physical rest but about finding peace in God's sovereignty and allowing Him to transform every aspect of our lives. By embracing this peace, we can navigate life's challenges with a renewed sense of purpose and calm. [09:42]

"For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, 'In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.' But you were unwilling." (Isaiah 30:15, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to be still and seek God's peace today? How can you create a moment of stillness in your day to connect with God?

Quotes


We have talked before about how God created us so that we're able to outsource vast amounts of our lives to our habits, and that's a wonderful thing. To be able to drive or eat or put on our clothes without thinking about it is what makes life possible. But the problem is sin gets into our habits. [00:40:37]

Thomas Aquinas, we're learning from the Masters about the spiritual life, actually devoted over 70 pages to his massive book Summa Theologica to the cultivation of holy habits because, to a large extent, an effective life, a transformed life, is simply a life in which my habits are in alignment with my values. [00:68:25]

The writer of Hebrews, I think it's in Hebrews chapter 10, writes to people and says let's consider how we could spur each other on to good deeds. That's what we're doing. That's what you and I are trying to do in these moments together as The Fellowship of the withered hand because I can't, but God can. [00:91:37]

E. Stanley Jones was a remarkable Christian leader of the last century. A lot of folks have not heard much about him. He was a man of immense hope and extremely practical. The best man that ever lived on our planet illustrated receptivity and responsiveness to God. No one was so utterly dependent on God. [00:159:11]

He read scripture, he immersed his mind in good noble truth thoughts of a God of love habitually. He read the word of God by habit. Then secondly, it says he went out to the mountain to pray as was his custom. In other words, he prayed by habit. It was part of a rhythm that was simply into his life. [00:200:56]

John says these three simple habits were the foundation habits of his life. They are as up-to-date as tomorrow morning. No converted person can live without those habits at work vitally in his life. And then Jones goes out to say this: give up habits that cannot be Christianized, cannot be used by Jesus. [00:250:47]

I had a habit when I was under stress, when I was frustrated, when I was bored, I would pick my nails. It's sometimes called a nervous habit. Did it for years, tried to stop, couldn't do it, prayed, still didn't work. And then I read a book by Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit, and he talks about a golden rule of habit formation. [00:318:14]

Now, if I want to change a habit, here's what's really important: never try to do it just by willpower. Never try to simply break a habit, and that's what I had always tried to do. I just tried to stop picking my fingernails. Duhigg says what you want to do is he recommends you take a couple of weeks and just pay careful attention. [00:373:05]

When those moments of nervousness or anxiety or boredom or frustration come, and they do, to just receive a little physical comfort from another fabric beside my skin but not just do that, also to remember that verse "Be still and know that I'm God" and invite God to enter into that. [00:564:14]

And then very often it helps when you make a commitment like that, here's something I want to change, to go public with it. So I'm going public. I'm telling all of you, which puts a little more pressure on me, but it's kind of a staking ground, and that will be a helpful thing. [00:584:52]

I want to invite God to shift this tiny little habit. I mean, I have much worse habits than this one. I will not tell you what they are, but they are there. But I thought I'd tell you about this one so that maybe we could encourage one another and provoke one another to good deeds. [00:612:29]

Get the habits working on the right side so that we can make a mark in this world as God calls us. That's today. Make it count. Thanks for joining us here at Become New. Dominique, if you'd like to receive the daily emails that go along with each video, let us know at become new DOT me. [00:629:56]

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Transcript
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