Habits and Disciplines

I’m reading an interesting book called Atomic Habits. The author has discovered that persistence in small changes is like compound interest. This method makes curves on progress charts go from zero to success in a steeper curve than could be imagined.

I learned that riding an exercise bike. I put a few miles on it each day. Over three years, that turned into several thousand miles and a great improvement of stamina.

This book also says that focusing on a goal is often defeating; a person needs to focus on the process or the steps needed to reach goals. He also says the best way to do that is thinking about your identity, who you are in relation to the person you want to become. For instance, saying “I can run a marathon” works far better toward that goal than “I want to run a marathon.”

This is interesting to me because of the relationship to spiritual growth as described in the Bible and by my experience. The goal is to be a godly person; God says I already am a godly person. I just need to learn how to act like it. The process is spiritual disciplines fueled and blessed by the grace of God.

The goal is to be like Jesus; the identity is that Jesus already lives in me. I’ve compared this to a soldier. When enlisting, that person is a soldier, yet it takes bootcamp and training to learn how to act like one.

This morning’s passage of Scripture is about a goal: to live in the Spirit and not in the flesh . . .

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:16–24)

How does it happen? A new Christian is called a “new creation” in 2 Corinthians 5:17, but it isn’t long before that old fleshy nature tries to spoil that by pulling us back into old habits. I learned the hard way that the process is like baby steps, tiny moves in the direction God calls me. Also, I need to avoid those slippery slope steps toward gratifying the desires of the flesh. Again, I am declared righteous in Christ; I must learn how to be what I am.

Reading the passage struck me with the contrast of its two descriptions. It seems that the flesh would be easy to recognize by the extreme bad behavior listed as examples. However, sin is more subtle. Jesus said sexual immorality includes looking at someone with lust in your heart (Matthew 5:27-28). Impurity can be mixed motives for doing good, such as pleasing God but also impressing others. Sensuality is usually about sexual misconduct, but it can include excessive indulgence involving pleasure of other kinds.

The list goes on, covering the extremes that Corinthian Christians fought against, yet are not obsolete. We still need to deny the sins of the flesh that lurk in our hearts, such as envy and division. God wants my life to be controlled by His Spirit, not my flesh. Doing this is about habit-forming, but the big difference between that book and the Bible is the power of the Holy Spirit at work instead of me needing to do this by myself, under my own steam and determination. As Jesus says, apart from Him, I can do nothing. God is not advocating self-effort for that is of the flesh also, even the very essence of sin.

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Wow, Lord! You have given me much to think about and act on. First, how much of my life and habits need change because they are not being motivated and fueled by You? Second, how many of my “systems” to reach goals are self-effort? And what can I rejoice in because I know You are at work? I’m glad for this list of spiritual fruit in Galatians for it is the best way to test who is running my life. If love, peace, joy, etc. are missing, then I have some confessing and repenting to do.

Today’s thankful list . . .

The guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Phone call from a friend not heard from for a long time!

The postal system.

Clear, helpful people at my bank.

A wacky quilt that just might turn out okay.

A bit of a dent in a pile of paper.

Never a dull moment!