CHANGE MY MIND
Last night, I had the opportunity to share a brief message with the teens as we had our first official night of Student Ministries (Youth Group). The topic was about habits. Whether we recognize them or not, all of us have habits that we have developed with time that are no longer obvious to us because they just come naturally. But just because they come naturally doesn’t make them right… but it also doesn’t always make them wrong. There are good habits, bad habits, and there are trivial habits. A while back, I was watching a show, and they talked about how most people always slip their right shoe and right sock on first. I actually didn’t think I did, until I started to pay attention. Turns out, it was true. Once I realized it, the rebel in me tried to train by brain to start with the left foot first. Every time that I would forget to start with my left foot, I naturally started with the right. While this is a trivial habit, it shows that we develop patterns in the brain that establish habits. These patterns don’t happen overnight. They are developed with time. Unfortunately there is one habit that is not developed with time, but it is actually embedded into the very fabric of our existence! This habit is not developed by our experiences, our environment, or our family tree. While those things will definitely play a factor in how we view our actions… from the moment we take our first breathe, everyone is born with a natural inclination, a habit, to sin. This is hard for us to picture in babies, because they really don’t do much. They simply cry, eat, and sleep. But think about this, by the time a baby develops the ability to crawl, walk, and grab things; they will by instinct do what they are told not to do. You can train a baby not to do certain things for their benefit: like staying away from stairs, not going by electrical outlets, or not putting small objects in their mouth. But the truth is that a baby will still try to do those very things when you’re not looking. While we are learning from early on, there is a natural tendency to do the opposite of what we are being trained to do or not to do… even if it’s for our benefit; which is the reason that Proverbs 22:6 encourages parents to, “Train up a child in the way he should go; [so] even when he is old he will not depart from it.”. That is the objective for parents, but here lies the issue. Even good habits can be broken. This is what 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verse 33 says…
"…“bad company corrupts good character.” -1 Corinthians 15:33b NLT
While a parent can dedicate their lives to training and raising their kids in what is good; good habits are able to be broken. Every positive, good, and Biblical habit and pattern in your life, and mine, can be undone by the people you allow into your life. There is an old saying that goes like this, “Tell me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are.”. While there are exceptions to the rule, for the most part, this is accurate. While some people believe that neutral friendships can be established with people without influence happening (these would be friends who you hang out with who have different convictions, ideas, or lifestyles than you). Unfortunately, this is rarely, if ever the case. But here are the two things that are almost certainly true in every friendship and relationship: You are either influencing, or being influenced. And when you are hanging out with bad company, they have the ability to corrupt good character. But here is the silver lining, you can also be the influence that brings about the change. Bad habits and patterns in your life, and mine… one by one… can also be undone. The way this happens requires a rewiring of the mind. Romans chapter 12, verse 2 says this…
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” -Romans 12:2 NIV
In order for sinful patterns and bad habits that come natural to be broken, there has to be a transformation, a rewiring in our brain that is dealing with the spiritual issue that is embedded into us from the moment we are born. Only then can new patterns, behaviors, and habits be created that are different from what we are naturally swayed to do and is culturally normal and accepted. Even though we are all born with a sinful nature, the truth is that our environment, our culture, and the world as a whole will typically define some of the patterns that become normal. No matter how wrong something is, we can all get to the point that we normalize it, if we simply continue to ignore the truth and our convictions; and begin to form new patterns in our thinking. Right and wrong, good and evil, are not social constructs. They are spiritual laws that are equally embedded into our hearts and minds by GOD (Romans 2:14-15). Bad habits are formed by ignoring our, “conscience and thoughts [that] either accuses [us] or tells [us we] are doing right.”. Unfortunately, in some way or another, all of us form bad habits best defined as sin that need to be undone. The only way for these to be undone is when our mindset shifts us from what we naturally want to do, to GOD’S design that will always be good. We all have sin in our lives, and habits that need to change. And while change will become evident when the mind is being transformed; figuratively speaking, at times we will find ourselves naturally putting our right sock and right shoe on first when trying to train our mind to do the opposite. The reason for this is our broken natural inclination, desires, and bend to do what brings us pleasure, even if it brings us consequences. Our broken nature will be to do the opposite of what the Bible says is good (Romans 7:14-20). The problem is not the Bible, it is our broken nature. So here is the challenge and encouragement. While we are all born into sin, habits develop based on how our mind is trained to think, how we choose to wire our mind to think, and by the company that can corrupt, or positively influence the mind. As we reflect on our lives and the choices we are making, we can typically see which choices are good, and which are bad. The indicator is not what our friends and society deems acceptable, but the result and consequences of our choices. So if you are a parent, train your kids in the path that they should go. It’s never too late to start. If you are a teen, or adult struggling with sin and bad habits, evaluate your company (friends). It may be time to start surrounding yourself with people that may be just as broken as you, but are in the same process of rewiring the mind in their habits and patterns. For this reason, we are encouraged to find a gathering (Church), and…
“…not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” -Hebrews 10:25 NLT
