Habits Pt.2
Click here to read Habits P.1 before continuing (recommended).
When overcoming unhealthy habits, we don’t simply push through by sheer willpower—we seek God for a complete renewal of the heart and mind. It’s not our actions that merely need work; it’s the heart from which those actions flow.
The way we take responsibility and walk in accountability is by going to God first, openly and honestly confessing our shortcomings, and surrendering the deep desires that fuel them—loneliness, heartbreak, anger, sadness, etc.
Paul says in Romans 7:15–20:
“15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”
So, it’s not that your intentions aren’t pure, or that your desire isn’t to do what is right—it’s that your will is weak. This is why trying to force your way out of unhealthy habits rarely produces lasting results.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9 Paul goes on to say:
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
Here we’re reminded that we are not expected to be strong in order to be set free from what holds us captive. In fact, we are expected to make room for God’s perfect strength to manifest in our weakness. Therefore, it is God’s strength that allows us to walk in full deliverance, not our own. Don’t get me wrong—it still takes a kind of strength to allow God into the places where we are most vulnerable. But ultimately, our freedom is not dependent on our strength.
When it comes to walking in freedom, our job is surrender; God’s job is renewal. We begin surrendering through honesty—with God, with ourselves, and, if possible, with a trustworthy God-fearing individual.
We first must admit that we have a problem, lay it at the feet of the One who can save us, Jesus, and then, if possible, share this struggle with someone trustworthy—someone who is willing to pray alongside you for your deliverance.
In sharing with another, you take a major step toward freedom. Most of the strongholds we face thrive on denial and the shame attached to their existence in our lives—shame that leads to secrecy. In finding accountability, you are less likely to retract (though that does not mean you never will).
Some practical steps toward freedom from unhealthy habits include, but are not limited to:
Drawing closer to God (fasting, prayer, reading and meditating on God’s Word, etc.)
Setting healthy boundaries
Surrounding yourself with likeminded individuals
Avoiding environments where temptation is highest
Guarding your entry points
Being mindful of the content you watch (eye gate)
Being mindful of the music you listen to (ear gate)
Being mindful of the voices you allow to influence you
Though the end result of freedom does not come from our own power, it is still our responsibility, by faith, to replace unhealthy habits with healthy ones. In doing so, you experience your faith at work, because the changes you make become a testament to your trust in God to deliver you completely. And if our faith has the ability to move mountains, it certainly can remove unyielded desire from a place of influence in our lives.
Scripture to reflect on:
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
