Not All Habits are Bad
Written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
Not all habits are bad. For example, flossing and brushing your teeth is a good habits. If you do not embrace the habit of brushing your teeth, your teeth will slowly fall out, to say nothing of your breath! Other habits are even more profound than dental hygiene. Good habits regularly create new talents and a more intelligent and healthier lifestyle. Good habits are also a Biblical imperative. The habits of caring for the poor, reading Scripture, praying, and living a moral life are just a few positive habits God commands.
The helpful writer, Thomas Oppong, in his article “A Good Life-Changing Habit Is Worth Repeating 365 Times,” encourages the reader to embrace long-term positive habits. I love the quote by Horace Mann, “Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it each day, and at last we cannot break it.” The more we prioritize healthy habits, the stronger they become. Oppong continues, “Consistent habits are the only way to change your life.” Little changes make massive transformations in your life.
Oppong quotes William James, who states, “All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits-practical, emotional, and intellectual-systematically organized for our weal or woe, and bearing us irresistibly toward our destiny, whatever the latter may be.” Healthy eating, missing Sunday worship, or carving out specific time with your children are all examples of “systematically organized” habits that improve or diminish our lives. Good habits are steps toward a healthy, meaningful life. Bad habits, on the other hand, strip life of meaning and long-term health.
Today, reflect on the good and bad habits you have nurtured in your life. Oppong calls us to “Start by committing to one good habit per week and build from there.” Then, pay attention to your confidence and happiness levels. Taking time to recognize positive steps is an influential motivating factor. Small steps do not feel overwhelming, but they can enormously impact your life. Then, when you ask God to strengthen and bless your good habits, the process will feel less painful and quickly become as natural as the habit of breathing.
