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How To Kill A Bad Habit

Ben Stuart

6 Days

The Best Defense is a Good Offense

Day 6

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Today is the final day of “How to Kill a Bad Habit.” These days have been foundational as we seek to embrace the rhythms of a well-fought life, and today, we’re learning to equip ourselves with a simple tool that will help us put these sinful habits to rest.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

James 1:17-18

God has given us new life. There is so much to enjoy, breathe in, and celebrate with our Father in Heaven. These unique gifts from God are blessings and are the positive fuel our soul often craves when we turn from God towards old habits we long to leave behind, and they just might be a powerful tool in our belt when it comes to actually breaking them.

So how do we use these experiences with God to disrupt the pattern of trial, temptation, and the sin we so often find ourselves snared in? Let's take a step towards freedom together.

Summary

How do you dislodge a beautiful thing from a human heart? You replace it with a more beautiful thing. The best defense against a bad habit is to engage in a good one.

Focus your attention on the things that make you joyful. Otherwise, the human machine will seek pleasure in things that are unproductive.

When you stop these bad habits, you may come to realize that you missed out on things that help you thrive. If you’re creative, you may find that you have less time to create. If you’re innovative, you have less time to ideate. If you’re outdoorsy, you may have found yourself never going outside. Find ways to satisfy those things that drive and motivate you instead of entertaining bad habits that do nothing but lead you to death.

Sin, addiction, and bad habits may have made a mess of us. But God is doing something great by giving us new life. Enjoy the world He made, dive into the Word He has written to us, and replace destructive things with positive ones.

The best defense is a good offense. We believe in you.

What's next?

Draw a bullseye with a center circle, an outer circle, and another outer circle (three circles total).

In the middle of the bullseye, write out the habits you don’t want to do anymore. In the second circle closest to the center circle, write out the things that lead to this habit: the lies you believe, bad thoughts, pain leading to these habits, environments you’re in, etc. In the outer circle, write out a long list of things you do for fun, like hiking, painting, etc. Things that provide joy with no sorrow.

Invite God into those things.

Scripture References

31Jesus answered them,

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

5Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

13When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

47For this is what the Lord has commanded us:

“ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,

that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

48When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

20We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

5If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

14but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.

15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.

17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Ben Stuart

Ben Stuart is the pastor of Passion City Church D.C. Prior to joining Passion City Church, Ben served as the executive director of Breakaway Ministries on the campus of Texas A&M. He also earned a master’s degree in historical theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Donna, live to inspire and equip people to walk with God for a lifetime.