We have all heard multiple sermons and studies about developing good habits. This is very essential for our Christian growth.
A “habit” is something we are aware of, as opposed to “learning” something. When we learn something we gain knowledge of something we did not know before, but a habit is something we know is good, or bad, and thus we do it with full knowledge.
People can develop bad habits. For example: they may start to experiment with alcohol and drugs at an early age. At first it may be distasteful, but over time, with constant trying, it becomes more delightful and thus a habit is formed.
There are many bad habits that Satan wants people to develop. They range from eating habits, sleeping habits, incorrect computer habits (video games) and so on. The list can be large. With most bad habits, the first try is not always that exciting and the conscience even may feel guilty, but with constant practice, the habit becomes more agreeable and thus it becomes addictive. It is not always easy to break a bad habit.
“Every habit or practice that leads into sin and brings dishonor upon Christ must be put away, whatever the sacrifice. The blessing of heaven cannot attend any man in violating the eternal principles of right. One sin cherished is sufficient to work degradation of character and to mislead others.” –The Acts of the Apostles, p. 312
It is equally the same with good habits. Sometimes they can be distasteful, or boring in the initial stages. Give a child a King James Bible to read after they have read an exciting novel or watched a comedy show, or played a computer game. See how interesting the Bible is. This is true, not only with children, but many adults also. You cannot force someone to find interest in the Bible; however, if you examine yourself and find this true for yourself, then remove some of those bad habits, and make a firm decision to “try the Bible”. You may find that it slowly becomes more interesting and even exciting. King David wrote, “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.” Psalm 34:8
We all need to develop the good habits of praying without ceasing, regular Bible reading, and healthy eating and sleeping practices. I do not need to tell you this. You know it to be true.
As you read the Spirit of Prophecy, you can find over 4000 sources where the word “habit” is used. Many of them are directed to parents teaching their children to form correct habits. This is important as this is the time when people begin to form their characters and habits. It is much more difficult to remove a bad habit, and replace it with a good one, as opposed to having a good one in the first place.
Ask a meat eater to give up his meat and it is a struggle to remove the bad habit. Many meat eaters realize it is
not very healthy, but they cannot live without it. But, start a child as a vegetarian, and they have no relish for meat as they grow up. It is a challenge to give up bad habits, thus to form good habits from an early age is a blessing.
I was reading a book the other day by an author named Oswald Chambers who was a Scottish minister at a Bible Training College in England. The book is entitled My Utmost for His Highest. It is a daily devotional from talks that he gave between 1911 and 1915. His wife compiled the talks from his notes after he passed away in 1917.
There were five pages that caught my attention. The first one was entitled, “The Habit of having no Habits.” That was an interesting thought for me and I will share this one in the end.
The other four were regarding habits that I never thought of as needing to be habits.
Firstly, by definition, a “habit” is: “an acquired behaviour pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary.” Dictionary.com. There are several slightly different definitions, but this is the one we are most familiar with and the one I will use here.
So, a habit is not something that comes on suddenly and unexpectedly. It is a behaviour pattern that has been regularly followed so that eventually it becomes involuntary.
Thus, when we read quotes like: “It came to pass that as disciples were multiplied, the enemy succeeded in arousing the suspicions of some who had formerly been in the habit of looking with jealousy on their brethren in the faith and of finding fault with their spiritual leaders.” –The Acts of the Apostles, p. 88. Who was suspicious of the work of the disciples? Those who were in the habit of looking with jealousy on their brethren and finding fault with their leaders. These people had acquired a behaviour pattern that led to this habit. If we begin this behaviour pattern, it can develop into a very negative habit and become an involuntary action.
As soon as temptation of any sort comes, send a prayer up to heaven immediately and make a firm decision with all your strength, and help from above, to not participate in that particular behaviour, lest it turn into a habit and becomes involuntary.
Yet there is hope for those who have fallen into sinful habits. “Through the power of Christ, men and women have broken the chains of sinful habit.” –The Acts of the Apostles, p. 476. And chains they are.
“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
The first habit Oswald Chambers mentioned was:
Habit of rising to the occasion. What does it mean to rise to the occasion? When faced with a challenge, you immediately face it, not concerned about the consequences, but go forward despite the seen obstacles.
When there is work to be done in the church, or donations required for different local projects and international needs, some are always ready to step in and help. They are the first to raise their hands. You can always count on them to make sacrifices and help without any need for extra encouragement. They are the ones who always rise to the occasion. They help spontaneously when they see a need.
Some think of all the obstacles and focus on them when a project is brought up, as did the Jewish people in the time of Nehemiah. They had left the walls in ruin and were concentrating on all the obstacles as to why they could not build. Nehemiah rose to the occasion, left his comfortable life in Persia and came to help the people to build. And the wall was built.
When mankind fell into sin, Jesus immediately rose to the occasion and willingly decided to pay the penalty for man’s sin. He had a private meeting with the Father and they both agreed with the plan, both knowing the pain and heartache they would suffer in man’s behalf. But they willingly agreed and rose to the occasion.
And why? Just so that we can enjoy the bliss of heaven and avoid burning in hell fire? No, it was to restore the image of God in man, the image that was lost through sin. “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27
To be like Jesus is to rise to the occasion when there is a need. Habitually and automatically they go forward disregarding their own needs at the time and looking past all obstacles by faith, putting the needs of the Lord first. They are not concerned about the sacrifices they will have to make because they trust the Lord to take care of them. The duties may be very unpleasant, but they are not deterred. They can do them with a smile on their face and can go forward. It is good to make a habit of rising to the occasion for the Lord.
Oswald Chambers then wrote about the habit of wealth. I wondered, how on earth can we have a habit of wealth? In the world there are many who make a habit of obtaining wealth by using dishonest and crooked methods. They steal, they lie, they cheat, etc.
In contrast, we need to develop a habit of wealth in an honest manner. We are not to sit back and do no work, living off social assistance or the generosity of others. Nor are we to rest and do nothing if we have enough to live off and are healthy. If a man in good physical health has property, and has no need of entering into employment for his own support, he should labor to acquire means that he may advance the cause and work of God.” –The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 912. “If riches increase, set not your heart upon them.” Psalm 62:10. If you have no immediate need for the excess, it could be that the Lord is giving extra to you, because His church or other poor members are in need.
The man given ten talents (Matthew 25) could have sat back and been satisfied. He was well off compared to his companions who had only two talents and one talent. Yet, he did not. He had developed a good habit of wealth in order to support the cause of God.
When we have developed the habit of wealth, then comes the paying of our tithes. If we are faithful here, God has promised to “open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” Malachi 3:10
The blessing may not be a blessing of an abundance of money, but if your treasure is in heaven (Matthew 19:21), and you “Cast thy bread upon the waters,” the promise is, “thou shalt find it after many days.” Ecclesiastes 11:1. When we are in real need the Lord will not forsake us.
One of the worst lies people tell themselves is that they cannot afford to pay tithes and offerings for the church. I counter them with, I cannot afford not to pay my tithes and offerings. Is our heavenly Father so cruel that He asks for tithes and generous offerings which in total may amount to 20% of our gross income, and then leave us to suffer and languish due to lack of means?
No, this is the furthest thought on His mind. He asks for a return some of the means He has given us so that we can trust Him when we may be in need. It is a good habit to develop—trusting God to take care of our financial stability.
The Lord owns the cattle on a 1000 hills (Psalm 50:10). The resources He has at His disposal are beyond our greatest imagination. It is often our lack of faith that hinders the blessings.
“Constant, self-denying benevolence is God’s remedy for the cankering sins of selfishness and covetousness. God has arranged systematic benevolence to sustain His cause and relieve the necessities of the suffering and needy. He has ordained that giving should become a habit, that it may counteract the dangerous and deceitful sin of covetousness. Continual giving starves covetousness to death. Systematic benevolence is designed in the order of God to tear away treasures from the covetous as fast as they are gained, and to consecrate them to the Lord, to whom they belong.” –The Adventist Home, p. 470–471
Habit of having a good conscience. (conscience: the ability to distinguish right from wrong). A woman from the Watchtower Society visited me many years ago and she wore a lot of jewelry. We spoke about the Sabbath together and somehow managed to get onto the topic of jewelry. I read to her from Isaiah 3:16–26 after I had read various Bible verses regarding the Sabbath. Her response was that she will stop wearing jewelry when the Holy Spirit convicts her. Also, she will start to keep the Sabbath, again when He convicts her. Although it was my conviction, she stated it was not hers and therefore these claims were not binding on her. The reading of the Bible verses had no effect on her because the Holy Spirit did not convict her of the necessity of these things. What is the conviction or impression by the Holy Spirit? Is it some feeling or impression on the mind? Is it not the word of God? If we take the Bible as our rule of faith and we have a good conscience, we will believe
all that is written there and desire to put all into practice in our lives regardless of any feeling or impression we may have. This is true with the entire Bible and writings in the Spirit of Prophecy. They all come from God.
We are to have “a conscience void of offence toward God.” Acts 24:16
Conscience is described by Oswald Chambers as, “that faculty in me which attaches itself to the highest that I know, and tells me what the highest I know demands that I do.” Page May 13
Having said this, it is possible then to have a variety of standards because the standard one aims at is what he has set his heart and mind on to know. Some are willingly ignorant (2 Peter 3:5), because they fear they cannot reach a higher standard or they may not want to reach a higher standard. Many years ago, we met a man who belonged to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. After a few Bible Studies, he decided he did not want to hear more. He stated that he feels he struggles to live up to the standard of his church, so it would be hopeless to try to aim at a higher standard in the Reform Church. His conscience bothered him, but he was unwilling to educate his conscience any more. He did not want to learn any more.
“One safeguard removed from conscience, the indulgence of one evil habit, a single neglect of the high claims of duty, may be the beginning of a course of deception that will pass you into the ranks of those who are serving Satan, while you are all the time professing to love God and His cause. A moment of thoughtlessness, a single misstep, may turn the whole current of your lives in the wrong direction.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 398
If we are in the habit of looking to God, our conscience will want to be aiming to reach His perfect standard in His law. If we are in the habit of looking lower, our conscience will compel us to aim for that lower standard. Thus it is very important to educate our conscience. God only has one standard. There is only one road to heaven. The health of the conscience is dependent on the knowledge of the Word of God.
Although, initially God’s standard may seem insurmountable; however, as we begin, one step at a time, it becomes easier as one moves forward. If we make a habit of constantly looking into the mirror of God’s law, and choose to obey, our conscience will be educated to do right at all times. Conscience needs educating to be habitually choosing obedience as second nature, involuntarily.
Is it possible to find a variety of standards in God’s church? People may make their own standards on issues such as dress or health. Here the conscience needs educating so that there can be perfect harmony amongst God’s children.
“It is a solemn thought that the removal of one safeguard from the conscience, the failure to fulfill one good resolution, the formation of one wrong habit, may result not only in our own ruin, but in the ruin of those who have put confidence in us. Our only safety is to follow where the steps of the Master lead the way, to trust for protection implicitly to Him who says, ‘Follow Me.’ Our constant prayer should be, ‘Hold up my goings in Thy path, O Lord, that my footsteps slip not.’” –Sons and Daughters of God, p. 154
As we educate our conscience, our ear will be able to hear the tiniest whisper of the Holy Spirit and we would not want to “grieve the Holy Spirit.” Ephesians 4:30. Thus, there will be no debate when the Spirit speaks. We do not barter with God as did Balaam. To keep the conscience strong, we have to make a habit of listening to, and obeying, every faint whisper. No questions asked. Do as Abraham did when asked to sacrifice his son. He quietly obeyed without question.
Habit of enjoying the disagreeable. This is a habit that many find challenging. It does not sound like a habit many would want to make.
They say that in a crisis, character is revealed. Satan will throw many negative situations our way and it is the way in which we meet them that determines our character. Do we get angry and upset? Do we cheerfully enjoy the disagreeable circumstance, knowing that our character is being developed, and in Christ the devil has no power over us? Can we simply smile, trusting that God is in control?
Jesus was mistreated more than any man that walked on this earth and He never let the devil get the better of Him. He truly manifested the character of His Father. He told Philip, if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father (John 14:9). Thus He wants to do the same in us. With our humanity combined with the divinity of Christ, the devil cannot disturb our inner peace and thus we can face any disagreeable situation with a smile on our face. We can either have the sweetness of the love of Christ in us, or we can allow the irritation of our sinful humanity when facing the disagreeable situation. Never should we give way to self-pity.
When God puts you in a disagreeable situation, take heart, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
Ellen White wrote about a young sister who was always gloomy. “She can, by habit, accustom herself to cheerful thinking.” –The Adventist Home, p. 259. It may take effort to make it a habit to always be thinking cheerful thoughts in disagreeable circumstances. Initially it will not be easy, but remember, a habit is acquired by a practiced behaviour pattern. Although it may seem unnatural at first, it will soon become involuntary to be cheerful in every trying experience.
Does it really matter if our external circumstances are hard? Not really; because God is with us and our character is being perfected. Thus, if we give way to self-pity and become miserable, we lose the blessing and the lesson the Lord is trying to teach us. The sin of self-pity removes God from first place in our lives and puts self-interest upon the throne.
So now, what did Oswald Chambers mean when he wrote a page about the habit of having no habits? I will summarize a few points.
When we first start to form habits, we are conscious of the fact that we are doing so. We make a conscious effort to read our Bible and to pray without ceasing. When a sudden unpleasant situation occurs, rather than using incorrect language, or getting angry, we hold back and “bite our tongue” and consciously say nothing. Eventually these good habits are so programmed into our character, and our lives are so hid in Christ, that all that we say or do is Christ-like involuntarily.
There is no need to develop more good habits, if Christ is in our lives. The good habits will already be there. We need to habitually hold onto the hand of Christ, and He will see that our practices are in line with His law. Christ does not sin. Thus, if Christ is dwelling in us, there should be no sin. We sin when we lose sight of Christ briefly and let go of His hand.
Here is an important point. There is danger of making a god out of our habit of praying and Bible reading. We have set aside a specific time and in the midst of the study, there is someone in need. Do we ignore the need and say that, no, I cannot address your need now because I am praying; it is my hour with God? It is a good habit to put aside an hour with God every day, but we have to be flexible in the event that there is a sudden need that needs attending to. The Pharisees developed “good” Sabbath-keeping habits, but they went too far to the neglect of the poor and needy. Jesus came to demonstrate true Sabbath-keeping, and the Jewish leaders accused Him of Sabbath-breaking.
With true love, there is no habit visible. You have come to a place where the habit is lost, because you unconsciously always choose the Christlike pathway. If you are unconsciously holy, there are certain practices you will automatically perform, certain people you will avoid.
As I said, with Christ in you, the habits do not need to be developed. They are already there.
“Every wrong habit must be overcome. Make a complete surrender to God. Fall on the Rock, Christ Jesus, and be broken.” –The Adventist Home, p. 342
Make it a habit to turn to Jesus in all times of need. Some go to Jesus as a last resort, when all other avenues have failed. The best way to live a successful Christian life is to be in the habit of turning to Jesus at all times. Amen.
Wendy Eaton