Choosing A Great New Year | Part 3 – Building Better Habits!

Practice #1 for Building Better Habits –

Regularly Them!

Psalm 139:23,24 (NASB)

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; ²⁴ and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.

What are the long-term consequences of my current habits?

Galatians 6:7-8 (NLT)
… You will always harvest what you plant. ⁸ Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.

Sow a thought reap an action; sow an action reap a habit; sow a habit reap a character; sow a character reap a destiny.

What healthy habits do I need to sow and practice to experience the biggest and best life?

1 Timothy 4:7 (NIV)

…Train yourself to be godly.

1 Corinthians 13:3-7 (MSG)

No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love —

Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, doesn’t have a swelled head, doesn’t force itself on others, isn’t always “me first,” doesn’t fly off the handle, doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, doesn’t revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the … truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back … keeps going to the end.

Sow a good “money habit” seed!

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit … so you must honor God with your body.

Practice #2 for Building Better Habits —

Systematically Them!

2 Peter 1:5-7 (MSG)

So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others.

Recommended Book — Atomic Habits – James Clear

Step One: Make it obvious!

Philippians 1:3-6 (MSG)

Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart.

Step Two: Make it attractive!

Step Three: Make it easy!

Zechariah 4:10 (NLT)

Do not despise … small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin,

www.youversion.com

Step Four: Make it satisfying! (Reward!)

1 Corinthians 9:25 (NLT)
All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.

Hebrews 11:26 (NLT)

Moses thought it was better to suffer for the sake of the Messiah than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the great reward that God would give him.