22 to put off your old self,[a] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24 ESV)
For many of us, New Year’s resolutions will not make it a week. The desire may be there but the dedication and execution is not, the spirit is willing but the will is weak. Maybe you are looking at day three of the new year and have already faltered.
The reason for this is often twofold. First, we think we can do it alone, but we really can’t. Secondly, habit is our worst enemy.
Accountability – who do you have that you can be accountable to? Yes, first on that list needs to be Jesus. But we need a flesh and blood partner who we can report to and be accountable with. Someone who will hold us to a new standard, and we need to make a plan with this partner. Just make sure you include Jesus in those plans.
Habits – these have great power in our lives. We are truly creatures of habit. To change we must make new neural pathways in our brains that replace the old ones. There is a great book on this called “The Power of Habit”, written by Charles Dhuigg. It goes into depth about just how we can change habits, but prepare for a difficult journey here.
Reflect on: What has become habitual in your life that you need to change? Who can help?
