Life Summary Sentences
“Yeah, she fell into sin.”
“He cheated on his wife.”
“He died of a heart attack at fifty-eight.”
”One day Samson went to the Philistine town of Gaza and spent the night with a prostitute.” Judges 16:1
Disasters are rarely the result of an isolated decision. They are almost always the end of a slippery slope.
– Craig Groeschel
“Samson lived in the town of Zorah, some say twenty-five miles from Gaza.” [1]
“Do you know how many steps it takes to go twenty-five miles? Approximately 56,250.” [1]
“We don’t wreck our lives all at once but a little at a time.
Like erosion. We are all tempted to slide down that 56250-step slope every day.” [1]
“That’s why it’s so important to get hold of our habits.” [1]
Based on who you want to become, what one habit do you need to stop? [1]
”You have been raised to life with Christ. Now set your heart on what is in heaven, where Christ rules at God’s right side. Think about what is up there, not about what is here on earth. You died, which means that your life is hidden with Christ, who sits beside God… Each of you is now a new person You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better” (Col. 31-3, 10 CEV).
Paul encourages us: Forget about who you were. Know who you are in Christ and who you want to become in him. [1]
“Don’t be controlled by your body. Kill every desire for the wrong kind of sex. Don’t be immoral or indecent or have evil thoughts. Don’t be greedy, which is the same as worshiping idols…But now you must stop doing such things. You must quit being angry, hateful, and evil. You must no longer say insulting or cruel things about others. And stop lying to each other. You have given up your old way of life with its habits.”
Colossians 3:5, 8-9 CEV
“…if you want to become who you want to become, there are some habits you need to give up.” [1]
“So, based on who you want to become, what one habit do you need to break?” [1]
If this is overwhelming because not one habit but many come to mind, know that you aren’t alone.
“The Accuser knows that if he can keep you focused on and overwhelmed by all those issues, he’ll keep defeating you.” [1]
You cannot defeat what you cannot define.
– Craig Groeschel
Why is this so difficult?
“Good habits are difficult to start because the pain comes now and the payoff is in the future.” [1]
“Bad habits are difficult to stop because the payoff comes now and the pain is in the future.” [1]
Why resist a temptation tomorrow if you have the power to eliminate it today?
– Craig Groeschel
“…we need to understand cues and identify the ones that trigger our habits.” [1]
“We are going to remove the triggers that tempt us to take actions that lead in the wrong direction.” [1]
“If we can’t remove the cue altogether, we will put up some roadblocks to prevent us from setting foot on “the path of the wicked.” [1]
“How do you win that battle and break the habit?
Remove the triggers. God is the one who gave us this idea of eliminating (instead of battling) temptation: ‘Flee from sexual immorality’ (1 Cor. 6:18). ‘Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts’ (2 Tim. 2:22 NLT).” [1]
Example:
If you are trying to eliminate porn triggers, you will figure out what “stimulates” your “youthful lusts”? [1]
If social media apps are your trigger, delete the app.
If it is watching a certain TV show, stop watching it.
Maybe it is being alone when you travel on business. Make travel arrangements that take away this option.
The habits you have today are shaping who you will become tomorrow. One step at a time, your habits are taking you somewhere. [1]
If you don’t like where they’re taking you, change your habits.
If you change your habits, you will change your life. [1]
Exercise
“This exercise is more intensive for good reason. If a habit you are struggling with, especially in secret, could lead to a Samson-type ending for you, digging in and being fully transparent in your response to these questions could bring clarity and understanding. Let your answers lead to change, and let the change lead to freedom.” [1]
“What is the one habit you know you most need to stop?” [1]
“What is the best thing that could happen if you are successful and quit?” [1]
“What is the worst thing that could happen if you continue or get worse?” [1]
“When you think about stopping, what is your rationalization for continuing?” [1]
“What cues regularly create triggers for your habit?” [1]
Principle
“Good habits are difficult to start because the pain comes now and the payoff is in the future.” [1]
“Bad habits are difficult to stop because the payoff comes now and the pain is in the future.” [1]
Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:9 NLT
Sources:
[1] Groeschel, C. (2023). The Power to Change: Mastering the Habits That Matter Most. Zondervan.
