Moving From Habits to Desired Results

If you google the word habits, the overwhelming results will be negative.

“How to get rid of bad habits”

“10 Bad Habits and How to Quit Them”

“Bad American Habits”

When I think of habits, I automatically think of ones that I want to stop doing. Like eating too many sweets, biting my fingernails, staying up too late, drinking too many diet cokes! I associate habits with the negative.

But what if we had a mind shift. What if we didn’t allow the negative mindset to hijack habits? What if when habits came up, we automatically let our minds go to the positive? I drink a bottle of water on the way to work every day. I choose to get up early to read before going to work. I enjoy dinner at the table with my family several times a week.

That’s a definite mind shift that can lead to your desired results. I want to encourage you to begin thinking about the positive habits you already have in place that are taking you where you want to go.

Go ahead. Make a list of your positive habits. What are you doing that will produce something desirable in the future?

 

You see, a habit is simply a recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition. Some habits take time to develop. Some seem easy to put in place. But the final outcome of any positive habit should be something automatic that you desire.

Let me tell you a story.

Daniel was a godly young man who had shown great faith in God even as he was taken into captivity in Babylonia.  His leadership eventually led him to a place of high position under King Darius.  So high, in fact, that those in position under him wanted him out.  (Read Dan. 6:1-5)

Those under Daniel talked the King into making a decree that said that any man who prayed to or worshiped any god besides the king for the next 30 days would be thrown to the lions.  King Darius agreed.

You may remember the ending to the story. Daniel continued his habit of prayer to God. His enemies tattled. The King reluctantly followed through with the punishment of being lion food. Daniel spent the night with lions and came out without a scratch.

You see, Daniel had developed a holy habit.

Consistent prayer to his God. His recurrent pattern of behavior was to go to his God three times per day. His naysayers used his habit against him, but it did not deter him. This is amazing to me. When the decree is issued, does he run to his friends and discuss how he was being set up?  Does he become anxious and worried?  Get angry and start blaming others?  Complain and make a scene?  Does he go home and hide in the closet to pray?  Come on, the decree was just for 30 days… surely God would understand if he was a little intimidated, right? The Bible says in chapter 6, verse 10,

“Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”

Just as he had done before. 

He did not break stride or change his routine. He simply continued his holy habit that he had been developing over a long period of time. And boy did he get some great results. The king recognized Daniel’s God and gave Him glory.

So what can we learn from an ancient story? Plenty. The next step for me after reading this story again is to ask myself what I would do when a crisis hits.  Let’s face it.  Crisis will hit.  The Bible talks a lot about “when __________ happens, do not be afraid.”  Not if, but when.  Crisis will come.  It may have already come.  You may be sitting smack dab in the middle of it.  But my question has to be “What holy habits am I developing now that will be unconscious, recurrent happenings when the lions are at my door.”

Will it be praise or panic?  Faith or fear?  Will I hit my knees in prayer or have a pity party?  Will I worship or whine?  We all know what the default position is.  We have to develop our holy habits now so that when tough times are here, we can hopefully “do just as we have done before” like Daniel did.

What habit are you developing now that will produce a desired result?

 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, remembering that as members of the same body you are called to live in harmony, and never forget to be thankful for what God has done for you.

Colossians 3:15