HABITS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE
by Joyce Meyer

We have righteousness, joy, peace and all the fruit of the Spirit inside us. We have love, self control and a desire to give, along with all the other good things Jesus came to give us.

1 The question is, if all these good things are in us, why do we still act so badly at times? I believe it’s because we fail to form the habits we need so that what is in us can be worked out through us.

You and I can be born again, on our way to heaven, and still have bad habits. We need to learn to cooperate with God and allow the good things He has placed in us to permeate and transform our minds, our mouths and our behavior. Good habits pave the way for the expression of the character of Christ in our lives. The good news is, bad habits can be broken and good ones can be formed.

HOW DO I FORM GOOD HABITS?
Both good and bad habits are formed through repetition. If we want to develop good habits we must continually do what is right even though we may not feel like it. Forming a habit is often uncomfortable. However, as we continue to say no to ourselves and yes to God—praying for the power of the Holy Spirit to help us walk it out—it gets easier to do the right thing. In other words, we need to put the deeds of the flesh to death by walking in the Spirit.

2 I believe this is what Paul was talking about when he said to work out your own salvation.

3 When you and I cooperate with the Holy Spirit, all the characteristics of Christ that He placed in our spirit the day we were saved will be worked out through us, affecting and influencing the way we think, feel and act. As we obey God over time—disciplining ourselves and saying no to the flesh—we will develop habits that are Christ-like.
Establishing a new habit may not be easy, simply because we are not used to it. We need to call on the help of the Holy Spirit for grace to press through and do the right thing consistently.

4 It has been said that it takes about thirty days to form a new habit. After we have done something that long, it is easier and like “second nature.”

WHAT HABITS SHOULD I WORK ON?
There are many good habits that we should develop as Christians. The habits of prayer and Bible study, walking by faith, and doing things in excellence are some examples. Two habits in particular I would like to focus on are keeping a clear conscience and responding to criticism in a godly way.
There’s nothing worse than walking around all day feeling guilty and condemned.

When we know we’ve done something wrong, we need to deal with it—not push it to the back of our mind. In Acts 24:16 Paul says, Therefore I always exercise and discipline myself…to have a clear (unshaken, blameless) conscience, void of offense toward God and toward men. Always exercising and disciplining himself means he developed a habit of having a clear conscience toward God and men—this requires practice.

God does not anoint you and me to blame others, make excuses or hide from things in our lives. He does anoint us to confront and deal with issues in a timely fashion. One of the best things we can do when God convicts us of offending someone or doing something wrong, is to make a habit of surrendering our pride and agreeing with Him right away.

I remember a time when I went into a jewelry store owned by a friend and bought something that I thought I just couldn’t live without. When I got it home, I felt uncomfortable about buying it and I definitely didn’t need it. I was embarrassed but I knew I needed to take it back because I had bought it on emotions. So I humbled myself and returned it.

When we make a habit of choosing to do what’s right as soon as we are convicted, we can avoid living with a guilty conscience. I believe making a habit of doing the right thing is especially important when we are responding to criticism.

HOW SHOULD I HANDLE IT WHEN SOMEONE CRITICIZES ME?
Sometimes the best thing to do with criticism is to ignore it. Do not get angry, upset or defensive. That’s exactly what the devil would like us to do. Beware of pride. No amount of anger will improve the situation or the way someone thinks about us.

5 At the same time we shouldn’t automatically assume our critic is wrong. Instead, we should be willing to examine ourselves to see if there is any truth in what they said. Even though someone may criticize us with a wrong spirit, they may have a good point. By keeping a humble attitude, we remain open to the correction of the Holy Spirit where we need it. Most importantly, we need to completely forgive anyone who comes against us.

Dave and I have had many people criticize us over the years. There have even been articles in the newspaper criticizing us unjustly. We have had to develop a habit of responding the right way when people accuse us. Responding wrongly to the judgments of others can keep us from moving on with what God has for us.

No one who is successful has gotten there without experiencing criticism. Don’t let someone’s negative comments about you steal your peace and confidence in the Lord. Believe what God says about you in His Word—not what people say about you.

If you want to be a highly effective Christian, choose to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit as He leads you to develop godly habits in your life. Through His power you can habitually live the life of the spirit and reign in life through Christ. …Glory and honor and [heart] peace shall be awarded to everyone who [habitually] does good…(Romans 2:10).

9 Godly Habits That Will Change Your Life
• Spend time regularly with God in prayer and Bible study.
• Live with a clear conscience.
• Finish what you start.
• Strive for excellence in all you do.
• Handle criticism in a godly manner.
• Be peaceful—avoid strife.
• Live by faith, one day at a time.
• Live by discernment.
• Be a giver.

(1) See Ephesians 1:3.
(2) See Romans 8:13.
(3) See Philippians 2:12.
(4) See Hebrews 4:16.
(5) See James 1:20.