Tag: Bad Habits

Habits


Do you ever wonder why you do certain things? There are a lot of things that we do every day almost without thinking. For example – we may put our shoes on the same way every day. We may cook certain foods the same way every time we prepare them.  We have certain routines that we repeat like checking our email or starting a pot of coffee first thing in the morning.
 
We call these habits. Things we do regularly. They have become part of our lives. The dictionary defines a Habit as “a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up”. We all have some good habits like brushing our teeth or washing our hair. But we also have bad habits like eating too many sweets or leaving our dirty laundry on the floor.
 
One habit I had for many years was putting my baseball cap and my headphones on top of a shelf in our family room. It was easy to find them there when I went out for my morning walk and easy to leave them there when I returned from my walk. But, I didn’t realize how much this irritated my wife. She preferred to see the top of the shelf clean and clear when guests and friends visited our home.
 
It finally dawned on me that I should find a different place to store my hat and headphones. I discovered a shelf inside the coat closet in the hallway. I regularly used this closet in the winter to get a warm coat for my walk. So I decided to put my baseball cap, headphones, scarf and gloves on the shelf above the coats. This has developed into a new habit with all of my walking gear in the same place. It helps me get out the door more quickly and it has made my wife happier too!
 
There are several passages in the Bible that address the subject of habits. The Apostle Paul wrote that he had developed the practice or habit of being content in every situation (Philippians 4:1-13). He also warned people about the danger of bad habits (I Timothy 5:13 NIV). 
 
Let me encourage you to reflect on habits and routines that are part of your life. I hope there are some good habits like reading the Bible every day and going to church on Sunday (Hebrews 10:25). But I suspect there may be some bad habits that have crept into your life too. Ask God to help you identify some habits in your life that may be having a negative impact on you or your loved ones. Ask God to give you the desire and strength to change a habit in your life. You will be glad you did and your loved ones will too!

You can read 365 more stories and articles by Mark Hopper in his book “Let Me Encourage You“. The price of a book is only $20 (plus $5 postage). Order your copy today at markh@efreedb.org.

A Rusty Gate

We have lived in our home in Diamond Bar for over 30 years. It was challenging to buy a home when we moved to California in 1988. The price of a 1500 square foot house was three times the amount we sold our home for in Arizona. Generous church members created a special fund to supplement our house payment for the first three years which enabled us to transition into the California housing market.                                
 
The home we were able to buy only had three bedrooms but I was able to add a fourth bedroom and a third bathroom within a year after we moved in. The original owner had purchased the home in 1980 and added a number of improvements including a large backyard patio and a built-in spa. He also enclosed the front court yard with a wrought iron gate.
 
Homeowners know that houses always need maintenance and upgrades. Over the years we replaced the wood shingle roof, installed double-pane windows and a new rollup garage door. We have fixed many lawn sprinklers and replaced some valves and the timer, too.
 
But as the years passed the wrought iron gate began to rust. I think one of the lawn sprinklers sprayed water on it three-times a week. I noticed the rust a few years ago but didn’t think it was a problem. The gate still worked. But the rust continued to erode the bottom of the gate. It was obvious we needed to find someone to replace the gate.
 
I realized that I had been ignoring the problem far too long. I had been lazy and indifferent. A rusty gate or overgrown landscaping reveals a lot about a homeowner. I wonder what my neighbors and guests thought when they saw my rusty gate. There is a passage in the Bible that says, “I walked by the field of a man where the weeds were overgrown and his fences were broken down”. The author describes the owner as a sluggard or a lazybones (Proverbs 24:30-34).
 
Recently I saw a man replacing a wrought iron fence in our neighborhood. His wife and two children were helping him. I stopped my car and asked the man if he could help replace my gate. One of his kids translated as we talked. I think it will make a wonderful Christmas present for my wife. I’m sure that it is just what she wanted this year.

Let me encourage you to not neglect a rusty gate or overgrown shrubs. There may be areas in your personal life that you have neglected too like a bad habit or a selfish attitude that are slowly destroying your relationship with others. Take action before things get out of hand. You will be glad you did and your family, friends and neighbors will too!

You can read 365 more articles and stories (one for every day of the year) by Mark Hopper in his book “Let Me Encourage You“. Two copies are only $30 plus $5 postage – one for you to enjoy and one to give to a friend. Order your books today at markh@efreedb.org.