Changing Habits

"The chains of habit are so light that you do not notice them until they are so strong that you cannot break them."  I first heard that statement from John Riley at Metro Bible Study.  Ominous thought, isn't it?  Lord knows, I've got plenty of strong links in the Habit Chain.  Fortunately, some of the links represent good fixations like brushing my teeth, eating healthy and exercising, but it's the other inclinations I'm tired of.  One strong link in particular begs for shattering Samson strength.     

"A nail is driven out by another nail; habit is overcome by habit."  Now this quotation from Erasmus, Martin Luther's contemporary and admirer, gave me hope.  Hope enough to send me off in search of a hammer and a nail. 

The old nail lodged in my wooden brain for way too long was the proclivity of TCT:  Thinking Critical Thoughts.  Critical thoughts about my diet, about my personality, about my friends, about my family, about many of the things God loves and created.  Well, I grew tired of being critical.  It's not fun.  It's heavy and exhausting like trying to swim a stormy ocean with clothes on.  I want to be free of the extra weight and bulk and chaotic fabric.  I want to cavort and swim naked with the dolphins in sun sparkle.

I decided it was time to lay the hammer down and birth a new addiction.  Time to beat out the spike of TCT with the anchor of POE, Praying Outrageous Encouragement.

At first I attempted POE for the one I was thinking critically about, but that was too big a step for a newbie like me.  My thoughts kept returning like a boomerang back to the same old rut in the mind road.  So I had to step back, way back, to Square One.  Instead of pounding POE for the person or thing that obviously Needs Work, bless her heart, I decided to tackle POE for something that was effortless... like my best friend or her daughter's wedding or my best friend's 50th birthday or my best friend's yoga business.  After all, applying POE for something uncomplicated more accurately matched my skill set.   

And didn't Jesus say "My yoke is easy"? 

So at present I'm following His lead and setting myself up for smooth success.  I'm allowing an elementary pattern to guide me.  Once I master POE for the obvious, then maybe I'll advance to a bigger hammer, a tougher nail, a more challenging blueprint.

And if John Riley was right, I won't even notice the storm shift until I'm regularly sun swimming in my birthday suit with Flipper.  :) 

                                              

Anxiety weighs down the human heart, but a good word cheers it up.   

Proverbs 12:25 (NRSV)