Baptist City Blog

Changing Habits

Hosea 12:3

"He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God:"

Most bad habits are good habits turned inside out.  When you look at the life of Jacob, he did not change his habits, he just changed how he used his habits. It was how he used his habits that determined whether they were good or bad. For instance, in the verse above it talks about Jacob taking "his brother by the heel in the womb." In the early part of Jacob's life he used the desire to get his way to deceive his brother and father. The verse above plainly shows us in the womb he fought and struggled to get his way.  Yet, in the very same verse it shows us "by his strength he had power with God:" The same habit of trying to get his way was turned to good when he wrestled with God and would not let Him go until he was blessed.  It was how he used his habit that made it good or bad.  

Likewise, most of your bad habits could be used for good if you would choose to do so. For instance, stubborn habits are bad when you choose to be so stubborn that you won't listen to authority or do right when you have been told you're wrong. Yet, you could use the same stubborn habit to stand for truth and not change when others are pressuring you to change.  If you will use the core of your stubborn habits to do right, then you can change your bad habits into good habits.  

If you are going to change your bad habits into good habits then you must first identify your habits. Most people know what their habits are, they just tend to close their eyes to their bad habits. You will never change your habits until you first identify your habits.  

Second, find ways to use your habits for good.  For instance, if one of your habits is selfishness, then use your selfish habits to do good. If you're selfish, you like to get all the good for yourself, so you could use your selfishness to do right so that God can bless you. I know the Pharisees who read this will criticize me, but God used our selfishness to get us to consider salvation. God said if you would get saved, He would take you to Heaven where there are mansions and golden streets. God used your selfishness to get you saved.  Whatever the core of your habit is, identify a way to use it for God.  When you are using your habit for good, then you won't be using it for bad.  

Everybody has bad habits, but those bad habits can become good habits if you choose to use them for God's work. I challenge you to turn your bad habits into good habits.  Though you may still have the habit, you are simply using that habit for good. However you choose to use your habit will determine whether it is good or bad.

Full of Fury

Daniel 3:19

"Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated."

Nebuchadnezzar nearly made a disastrous decision because of fury.  The only reason why Nebuchadnezzar didn't have the innocent blood of the three Hebrew children on his hands is because God stepped in to save their lives.  Nebuchadnezzar's fury moved him to make bad decisions and to do bad things.  

The word "fury" means, "a storm of anger; rage; madness." In other words, fury is reacting in the heat of the moment. He was furious because these young men made him look bad.  He was furious because his pride stepped in the way. When you study this story, you see that fury did several things to Nebuchadnezzar and it will do the same things to you if you don't control your reactions.  

First, fury changed Nebuchadnezzar's countenance for the worse. Notice it says in the verse above, "...the form of his visage was changed..."Fury causes a loving person to become unloving. Fury causes a gracious person to become ungracious. Fury changes a good person into a bad person. One moment of fury can change the way people will perceive you forever. Therefore, you need to be sure that you don't react in the heat of the moment.  

Second, fury changed Nebuchadnezzar's outlook about good people. In the verse above, Nebuchadnezzar had no problem with these three young men until his moment of fury.  It is amazing how your perception of people changes when you are furious. People who are good people will become bad in your perception because your fury blinds you from seeing how good they truly are. Fury will cause you to disrespect people whom you have respected for years. It can be very embarrassing if you don't control your fury.  

Third, fury moved Nebuchadnezzar to make an unwise, hasty decision. Hasty decisions rarely bring good results. When you become furious, you will make unwise, hasty decisions that you will most likely regret later on in life. In a fit of fury, many married couples leave their spouse only to regret that decision later on in life. In a fit of fury, many children do things to spite their parents only to regret that decision later on in life.  Be careful about allowing your fury to cause you to make hasty decisions.  

Last, fury emptied Nebuchadnezzar of good.  When you're "full of fury" then that means you are emptied of anything else.  You can't be full of one thing without pushing everything else out. When you allow yourself to be filled with fury, you then allow the fury to push any good that you have out of you.  Thus, you do things you will regret.  

Christian, if you are a person who is prone to react, then you are probably a person prone to be filled with fury. Don't let fury fill you.  The best way to overcome being filled with fury is to fill yourself with good.  Just like being full of fury pushes all good out, likewise being full of good will push all bad out.  Fill yourself with good and you will find fury will have no place in your life.