As we change our habits for the better, we notice the changes that have been made. Now we need to keep the momentum going. Regression cannot be an option. I use the four P’s (prayer, patience, perseverance and perspective) to help me remember where I was and where I want to go in the future.

Questions for further thought:
1. Is there a bad habit you used to do that you have overcome for the better?

2. How were you able to change from that bad habit into a better habit?

Challenge: Write or journal the changes you have made in your life. Praise God for those and for His guidance during your times of spiritual growth. Also pray for His guidance to help you in your current struggles that you desire to overcome.

I confess, I despise running! Maybe the reason I do not like running is because it takes too much work. However, actions that require discipline over time, whether spiritual or physical, also require making changes in our life. We need to find substitutes to replace the bad habits. Taking up new habits, such as exercising, serving or reading will fill that void. 

Questions for further thought:
1. What is a change you want to make that will take discipline over time?

2. What bad habits do you want to replace? What good habits can you start to replace the bad habits?

Challenge: Read a book about spiritual disciplines in the next month. A couple books I would recommend are “Celebration of Discipline” by Richard Foster or “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life” by Donald Whitney.

Paul recognized there needed to be a change. He knew the solution would come through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. He needed to shift his focal point upward instead of inward. The inward struggles would be remolded in His Image.

Questions for further thought:
1. Do you put a higher focus inward or upward?

2. How can you increase your upward focus?

Challenge: Identify the areas of your life that can be guided by prayer and scripture study.
 

Paul was extremely hard on himself. He knew he had a sinful nature he could not shake. We can all relate.
The American Cancer Society says it take an average of 8-10 attempts to quit tobacco. That means there is an average of at least 7 failures (sometimes more) before success is achieved. As you change, you can expect failure like Paul on the way.

Questions for further thought:
1. What areas do you struggle to show yourself grace?

2. Where have you failed to shake off a vice that currently enslaves you?

Challenge: Take another attempt at that vice that you have not been able to overcome.

Paul admitted he was a sinner. He took self-assessments to understand where he fell short. He knew he was held back from God because he was enslaved to sin. He knew there were small triggers that kept building into this chronic sin. Just like Paul, we struggle with our chronic sins. We each have our small triggers that lead us to our own human sinful nature. Ultimately, these chronic sins divert our attention away from our God who deserves it.

Questions for further thought:
1. Identify the chronic sins that divert your attention away from God.

2. What triggers lead you to the chronic sins in Question 1.

Challenge: Determine a small change to your life you can take that would stop a trigger identified in Question 2.

When we are disciplined and obedient to God’s commands, we will find peace and righteousness.  Example:  When we are disciplined about healthy living, we will experience better health.  When we are disciplined about our study of the Bible, we will experience peace in the times of trouble as we are able to combat the trouble with what we know in the Bible to be true.  The benefits of discipline always outweigh the outcomes of not being disciplined.


Questions for further thought:
1. What are some benefits you have received as a result of being disciplined?

2. How have those benefits encouraged you to develop new habits?  


Challenge: Ask God to show you what new habit (discipline) you need to adopt and how you need to go about being disciplined to do it. 

Yes, discipline can be learned.

When children are born, their world or focus is limited to just themselves.  As they get older, they hopefully learn from those around them that the world is bigger than themselves and they are taught about selflessness, discipline, morality, and the salvation our Lord and Savior offers.  We are responsible for teaching those around us (young and old) what we have learned relative to discipline.  Do we need to be perfect to do this?  No, just honest about our own faults and what we have experienced and learned over the years.


Questions for further thought:
1. Who has God put in your life to teach?

2. What does God want you to share?


Challenge: If you are struggling with God’s ask, pray and ask Him to show you how to get started.  Then, take one step towards that goal.

God sent His Son to die for all of our sins, but that does not give us a free pass to do whatever we want and keep on sinning.  We need to be disciplined and follow God.  When we do not, our Lord and Savior will discipline us in order to bring us back into the fold.  Just like we tell our kids, there are consequences for our actions (or inactions).  We typically will not like them but consequences or discipline will help us grow the habits God would have us do. 


Questions for further thought:
1. What consequences or discipline are you experiencing?

2. How is the consequence or discipline helping you grow?


Challenge: Thank God for loving you enough to allow consequences and discipline to occur so you can grow in Him.

Being disciplined does not mean you will be perfect; take King Solomon as an example.  Disciplined and dedicated to God and His ways, but also human in the fact that he made mistakes.  The current belief is it will take someone twenty-one days to develop a new habit.  During those three weeks, it will require discipline in order to adopt your new habit because the temptation to revert to a bad habit will be strong.  


Questions for further thought:
1. What new habit are you working on?

2. What gets in your way?  


Challenge: Take steps to remove one of the obstacles/temptations in your way today.

Selfishness is in all of us and it takes discipline in order to do what God would have us do versus what we want to do.  The definition of discipline is the quality of being able to behave and work in a controlled way, which involves obeying particular rules or standards.  God made us not as robots who always follow the rules, but as freethinking beings who can choose to obey.  It is up to us to be disciplined enough to do what God would have us do.


Questions for further thought:
1. What is one of the selfish things in your life preventing you from doing what God would have you do? 

2. What is something you can do to discipline yourself to do what God would have you do?  


Challenge: It can seem overwhelming to change all of our bad habits all at once. So, pick just one or maybe just a part of the habit and strive to be disciplined to move forward doing what God would have you do.