Holding on to habits and patterns that no longer serve us keep us bounded to the ordinary. The enemy wants our feet to be cemented in a holding place so that we can’t move forward and do God’s work. Breaking bad habits is difficult because to some degree it’s comfortable to do what you always did even when the results are less than favorable. So much of the discouragement and that unsettled feeling of not living our authentic life originates from the patterns we adopt. We’re unsettled because we’re not pursuing God’s plan for our life. Going against God’s grain leaves us frustrated and feeling like we’re missing something. Internally and spiritually you know there’s something else you should be doing, but you’re habits stop you. This is one of the ways the enemy distracts you from God’s plan. He wants you believe that you can’t change. That you are who you are, and there is nothing you can do about it! These habits are in your DNA. How many times have you heard people say or maybe even yourself, “I can’t help it, that’s just who I am.” That my friend is an excuse that you’ve been conditioned to believe but that good news is you can change your CONDITION!
Be intentional about choosing something different. Adopt habits that honor who you are in God, choose the patterns that take you to the next level God has for your life! When you choose to break the strongholds in your life that are holding you back from God’s best, you will be unstoppable! Unstoppable not in your power, but in God’s power and strength, so that ultimately you can glorify the Lord!
Maybe some of your habits originate from a belief pattern you had before you knew Christ. You are a new creature in God! Step fully into your identity! No longer do you have to hold onto an old way of life that doesn’t reflect who you are as a daughter of the King! You can’t expect to do new things when you’re grabbing onto old ways. Scripture tells us you can’t pour wine into old wineskins because it will break and the wine will spill out. What are you trying to pour into your life that doesn’t seem to stick? Are you frustrated because you have a vision, something new that you want to pursue, that’s put on your heart by God, but it keeps falling through? It’s time to change your wineskin!
Think about the habits you need to release. You know what they are, because they haunt you. Every day, every moment, and every year that you are not walking fully in your purpose is because of a choice that you can change. What have you gained by holding onto unhealthy and unwise habits? The answer is nothing! If anything you lose something every day, the community around you loses something, your family looses something because they are not getting the woman God designed you to be!
Bad habits are like friends who don’t have your best interest at heart. It’s difficult because you’ve grown accustomed to the toxic relationship by making excuses, by refusing to see the hard and ugly truth because you want so badly to hold on, to believe that it’s not that bad. But, it is and it dishonors who you are and soon you become okay with that and you accept the unacceptable. Knowing when to quit is freeing and allows you to stand in your truth and in God’s truth for you. Stop cheating yourself and others out of God’s extraordinary vision for your life and start living your best life by releasing what doesn’t serve you any longer!