21 Days of Prayer and Fasting - Day 6

HABITS

Have you ever stopped to think about how what you do shapes and forms who you are becoming? For the most part we don’t. Most often we are living life with familiar patterns that we aren’t even aware of. It is simply familiar, and how we do it. Sometimes we developed those habits ourselves, and other times we were handed them through family practice and pattern. Regardless of how you got here, it is important to take into account how your habits are shaping and forming who you are becoming.

Your heart, hunger, and habits go hand-in-hand in shaping and forming who you are becoming.

If your habits are harming or aren’t helping you to develop a heart of simplicity and singularity centered around the kingdom of God, they are in need of transformation.

If your habits are harming or aren’t helping you to develop hunger for God’s kingdom and righteousness, they are in need of transformation.

Simultaneously, habits reveal much about the heart. They reveal the duplicity and defilement of the heart. They reveal how easily distracted we are when it comes to our relationship with God and others.

Habits also reveal much about one’s hunger. The disordered, sinful desires of the flesh can be observed at times in habits. James 1:14-15 describes for us the pattern of sinful desires and how they form us: “Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” First is temptation. Second is being dragged away by our sinful desire. Third is the sinful action. Fourth is the growth of the sin, which is the sin turned sinful habit. Fifth is death or being totally demolished due to the wages of sin and self-destruction. It’s important to understand that initially the hunger was just a desire. Then it was a decision, but eventually it has a grip on you that doesn’t let go.

Now, I realize that not every habit in your life seems deeply spiritual or relevant to shaping and forming who you are becoming. Not every habit is in and of itself “bad.” The purpose of this isn’t to analyze every aspect of your life. Rather, it is to examine habits to see if they are conforming to the pattern of this world, or are being transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2).

Each of us have habits in which we need to abstain from that aren’t helpful to us as we follow Jesus, and each of us need new habits to engage in that are helpful to us as we follow Jesus. Practices like fasting and prayer help in each of these ways.

REFLECTION

How are your habits shaping and forming who you are becoming?

What habits have you developed that you need to abstain from?

What habits have you developed that you need to engage with more often that help you experience life with Jesus?