Habits

Habits... sometimes I wonder if it's the Achilles heel of many of us.  I unfortunately am not one of those personality types that is all that good at habits.  This fall with more flex time I had hoped to get some more habits into my schedule, yet... November and still not there as I would like them to be.

Helping a friend with youth group this week the theme was creating habits.  Many of the youth had asked questions about how to read their bible or where to start and other things that really have no specific answer so his response was pick something and create a habit with it.  It doesn't matter so much what you do, but that you do it and regularly.

For a while about a year ago I blogged almost once daily.  It was a great habit.  I felt closer to God and I was learning alot.  Lately I have been struggling to blog once a week - mostly because of internet access, but excuses excuses.  The busier I am I find the better I have habits - they tend to to along with the schedule.

An acronym he found to help the kids went like this:
H - hang time with God
A - accountability with another
B- Bible reading
I - involvement in church
T- tithing
S- Study scripture

All good places to start.  But like anything I think it is better to start with a little bit, a combo that fits you and try to commit to it.  I love devotional books that combine looking up the passage in your own bible and then comment on it.  Works well for me.  Praying with meals is another habit that is great to have.  So many good things it's easy to get overwhelmed and like a popular song out right now religion can become "a stone tied to my feet".

Obedience is important to God.  Too often we make God what WE want God to be... it's easier.  How do we get to know God?  Read the bible.  Daily.  It's hard.  But we sit and watch TV or movies for at least an hour a day, can't we give God a few minutes?

One thing I learned while reading Eat, Pray, Love is that you don't always love a habit when you try to start it, but after a while it can really become wonderful.  The author didn't like the mandatory early morning group meditation and got nothing from it.  But towards the end of her stay in the Indian monastery after taking to another she slowly grew to love the meditation and it became an important habit in her life.

I'm not saying we should all meditate (though I think we could all benifit) but some habits we don't pick up because we like them right away, but because they are good for us.  Later with an open mind we may discover something we never saw in them.

What are your habits?  What helps you keep them?

For me - an accountability partner is vital.

Wishing you the best in your struggles and your blessings.

Your sister in Christ~Erin