Have any Habits?

So, I don't know why it's been so long since I've blogged- I didn't stop reading my Bible, or praying, and scripture didn't stop speaking to me- I just never felt like blogging about it. Good habits are hard to create, but they're always so easy to break. I was reading about habits on a psychology blog today, and thought this was interesting...

"What this study reveals is that when we want to develop a relatively simple habit, it could take us over two months of daily repetitions before the behaviour becomes a habit. And, while this research suggests that skipping single days isn't detrimental in the long-term, it's those early repetitions that give us the greatest boost in automaticity.

Unfortunately it seems there's no such thing as small change: the much-repeated 21 days to form a habit is a considerable underestimation unless your only goal in life is drinking glasses of water."

Maybe that's why it's so tough to form a habit of holiness and self-control- because a passionate pursuit of God is so different from how we naturally are (selfish, self-reliant, apathetic, mediocre, etc) that is a habit that will take our whole lives. Well, now that I look at my verses I guess they kind of do tie in - hmmmmm, I wasn't even planning that...

John 3:5-7
Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'

We have to be cleansed by the Spirit's purifying power- it's simply impossible to clean up ourselves on our own (think trying to lick chocolate pudding off your face with a tongue covered in pudding) it's just one of those impossible things. Thankfully what is impossible for us IS possible for God! When we physically try to give birth to good, godly habits it is impossible- our flesh will never give birth to the goodness of the Spirit. We need more of God's spirit if we are to draw closer to him- not more meticulous efforts and methods to draw close to him in our flesh. For how can flesh draw near Spirit, for they are realms apart? Are we surprised with this revelation? It kind of made me think but Jesus tells Nicodemus that he should not be astonished at this news, we shouldn't be either, instead I will try to live out this truth...