Author: Saleama A. Ruvalcaba, MATS
Let’s Keep it Real
Although 2020 has been a horrible year to say the least, still many of us are excited and ready to plan for the new year.
I bet you’re already excited to start that new diet or read more books or limit social media. Maybe you’re excited to improve your marriage or your parenting or become a better employee.
Well…I don’t want to burst your bubble, but no matter how good or bad 2021 turns out to be, you won’t be able to keep your resolutions.
I’ll give you about four weeks TOPS before you give up!
I know…I sound rude…right?
It’s true!
New year resolutions for the most part are based solely on motivation and motivation is overrated.
Motivation can get you started but it won’t keep you going for the long-term.
Christian Holy Huddle
In my Christian small world, I sometimes see many of us make the mistake of thinking we can pray our way into success. Yes prayer is vital, in fact my entire life centers on prayer – but we start to believe we don’t have to work hard or develop positive habits in order to see success. All we have to do is pray and God will make it happen, right?
If that were true, then the disciples didn’t have to travel the known world to share the Gospel. They could have sat in their comfort and prayed for God to get the Gospel to people some kind of way. They endured the hard for the success of the Kingdom. You have to do the same by developing positive habits.
The Light Goes Off…Or On?
As a new believer nearly 13 years ago, I didn’t read the Bible consistently. I read it sporadically. I didn’t read it everyday. When I did read it, I read random books of the Bible and avoided others but I finally decided I wanted to be proficient in reading God’s Word and to make sure I was living the way God wanted me to live. I also didn’t want to take God’s Word out of its proper context which is taking a verse of Scripture and making it mean what I think it should mean.
Do you think all I had to do was pray and ask God to make me proficient in studying His Word without any help on my part? Sure, I prayed and asked God to help me but that is when He gave me the wisdom on how to do it.
I had to develop a system – a plan – and a positive habit of reading His Word daily.
Proverbs 3:13 “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding.”
NIV
For several years now, I have read the Bible from beginning to end. I wake up every single day at 5:00a.m. to read, pray and study His Word.
The Why!
One of the reasons we cannot keep our resolutions is because we do not understand habits. Since the time we are born we start to develop certain habits. We grow up with these habits.
Do you rub your head when you’re nervous or check social media at least 50 times a day or put on the same item of clothing first all the time? Why?
We all have certain habits we are accustomed to but we do not understand how to transform the negative habits into positive habits.
When your alarm goes off do you get out of bed right away – or when a commercial comes on do you order a pizza even though you’re trying to eat better – or when your husband does something nice for you do you even bother telling him thank-you? I’ll give you a little hint here; food commercials typically come on during the evenings (During dinner time). A good way to keep a good habit of eating healthier is avoid T.V. in the evenings.
Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord, is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
NIV
Okay…What Do I Do?
Don’t think for a moment you’ve stumbled on here accidentally. Is there something you need to change about your life? Do you feel God asking you to do something, yet the thought of it is too overwhelming to begin? Does it feel hopeless?
Not so.
You will see in my next post how God will help you develop positive habits to change your life.
Don’t believe me?
I barely graduated high school 27 years ago and I never read a complete book until my late 30’s. Today, I average at a minimum to read five books per month. That’s an entire book every week.
How did I learn to do that?
I have a desire to learn. You have a desire too. Desire met with positive habits can bring about change!
You can develop positive habits too in 2021!
Join me for my next post; 4 Ways to Start and Keep Good Habits
~Saleama A. Ruvalcaba, MATS
Resources:
Lead Me The Way... 