Developing Good Habits

Developing Good Habits

By Apostle Felix

22  And he has taught you to let go of the lifestyle of the ancient man, the old self – life, which was corrupted by sinful and deceitful desires that spring from delusions.
23  Now it’s time to be made new by every revelation that’s been given to you.
24  And to be transformed as you embrace the glorious Christ-within as your new life and live in union with him! For God has re-created you all over again in his perfect righteousness, and you now belong to him in the realm of true holiness.
25  So discard every form of dishonesty and lying so that you will be known as one who always speaks the truth, for we all belong to one another.

Ephesians 4: 22 – 25

Habits are developed, either good or bad. A baby is born as a bundle of possibilities with the possibility of becoming anything. For example, a set of identical twins can be separated at birth, and exposed to different experiences. Though identical, they will grow up with different characters depending on their exposure. One exposed to a life of crime and violence, will grow into a violent and crime oriented person. While the other who has been exposed to a life of order and hard work, will grow into a hard working and orderly person. Habits are learned and developed in one’s life through repetition.

Repetition is a fundamental mechanism for learning and skill mastery. A gifted person can only perfect the gift through repetition. The big names in sport, like Lionel Messi, perfected his gift through repetition. One can be gifted but yet will need to develop the skills. The exercise of developing a skill can be regarded as a habit. Messi has developed certain habits in his life that has contributed to his giftedness.

8  For athletic training only benefits you for a short season, but righteousness brings lasting benefit in everything; for righteousness contains the promise of life, for time and eternity.

1 Timothy 4: 8

The exercise of developing good habits in one’s life is a discipline. Just like an athlete is disciplined to developing skills, so should everyone be disciplined to developing good habits. Good habits do not come by the laying on of hands or by prophetic declarations. It is developed through diligence. The challenge, Africa is facing is not necessarily the enemy without, but the enemy within, which is the lack of discipline to turn raw material into finished products. Of course, it will take knowledge and execution in order to turn raw material into finished products. The link between knowledge and execution can be discipline, and that could be a missing link in our African society. An African wants to attain success through divine intervention – miraculous breakthrough. We never get to realize that poverty is perpetuated by decisions made, that led to habit formation and eventually character development. Poverty is a product of poor habits. A student, with hard working habits will do well academically.

10  If you keep nodding off and thinking, “I’ll do it later,” or say to yourself, “I’ll just sit back awhile and take it easy,” just watch how the future unfolds!

11  By making excuses you’ll learn what it means to go without. Poverty will pounce on you like a bandit and move in as your roommate for life.

Proverbs 6: 10, 11

This is the story of Africa. It has so much wealth buried underneath but yet is known for abject poverty. It is not that the land is poor, it is the inhabitants that are mentally challenged. We see our leaders going to Singapore to ask for aid, from a country that lacks natural resources. The land can be poor but the Singaporeans are mentally rich. They have developed certain habits that have brought Singapore to where it is today. Singapore decided to educate its people, not only academically, but also how to live orderly in society. It is considered as the cleanest country in the world because of the clean habits that have been developed in people’s lives overtime.