It’s not hard to know what we should do differently … identifying a few goals, listening to God’s whisper and examining our heart can be the easy part! It’s when we try to include these new habits into our life in a way that becomes second nature that it is hard. Sometimes it seems easy and then sometimes we just soldier on. But, most of the time there is something in the way of our new path that makes us stumble.
The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that shines brighter and brighter until the full light of day. The path of the wayward is like deep darkness. They do not know what makes them stumble. Pay attention to what I say and keep my words in your heart. They are life to those who find them and healing to their whole body. Watch over your heart with all diligence for from it flows the springs of your life. From Proverbs 4: 18-23
We always want to know what our future holds! Or what God’s will is for our life. We might ask ourselves,
What can I hold onto or learn in our present that will be helpful later?
What new habit can I make happen?
Where will my path end up and how will I get there?
How will I (or God) get me out of this mess I am in?
When will God ever answer my prayer for the ‘whatever’ that will make my life so much more wonderful?
Walking down the path of life is a challenge. There are so many things that can distract us from our goals and dissuade us from our commitments. Our intentions are good. We want to be right with God and do what is right. We want to walk lightly but with purpose. We can almost see our destination in the distance. We don’t want to walk alone.
The writer of Proverbs says we walk into the light of day. And this day will continue to get brighter and brighter, if we are righteous. Being righteous doesn’t mean that we are perfect, but that we are right with God. We know Jesus died for our sin and we accept the gift of life from Him. We know this is all about His grace and not our own puny works. We are grateful and take hold of His power and His love. So, this path we walk with Him becomes a joy. We leave the destination in His hands. We look for companions to join us in His bright light.
Until the path gets dark and we stumble.
Take some time to examine the last time you stumbled, big or small:
What causes you to turn away from the right path?
What is it in your life that obscures the light and gets in the way of enjoying your new habit?
Is it laziness and the thought that it just doesn’t matter? Do your work heartily (Colossians 3:23).
Is it an unwillingness to forgive? Forgive as Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:32).
Is it about wanting to control your life and the people in it? The love of Christ controls us (2 Cor 5:14).
Is loneliness maximizing the influence of wayward people? Walk with the wise (Prov 13:20).
Is FOMO (fear of missing out) driving you to pretend and lie? Don’t pretend to be rich if you have nothing (Prov 13:7).
Is selfishness skewing a godly perspective on responsibilities? Give and do not hold back (Prov 21:26).
Look up these verses or do a Bible search and find a verse that speaks to you. Keep it close to your heart. Write a post-it for the refrigerator or your car’s dashboard. Devise a wallpaper for your phone. And pay attention to it!
God’s words are life and healing for your body. Diligence is life for your heart. This is how the springs of your life will overflow to others. This is how the day becomes brighter and brighter. This is how we walk out a new habit!
Jesus, my Waymaker, show me Your way to keep on walking on the right path. I trust Your future. I want to walk out a new habit with You and let You change me. Amen.
happy hunger 
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