The ONE THING Challenge- The Blessing May Be in That One Thing

So, I’m reading a book right now called Atomic Habits, a best-selling book, but it is taking me forever to finish this book, not because I’m busy or the book is not interesting. It might just be procrastination, which I have been doing a lot of this year.

One thing that has stood out for me with this book is the idea that in order to change habits we shouldn’t try to do what we all do which is: make a list of New Year's resolutions, that we end up not doing by the end of that first week. Or make lists of all of these goals (big long-term goals) and then try to do all of them at once and then end up not doing them by the end of the week.

The author suggests looking at our habits and behaviors from an atomic level. Now I know for some of us it's been a minute since we were in science, by the way I disliked science and math and the feeling was mutual I’m sure - based on my grades. Anyway, quick review: Oxford Dictionary defines an atom as an extremely small amount of a thing or quality

Ephesians 4:22 -You must lay aside with your former habits your old self which is going to ruin through its deceptive passions.

It made me think what small thing could I change in my habits that would build better habits and make greater changes over time? One thing I do that I say I’m not going to do every time, but I do it anyway is -When I wake up at night, instead of praying and seeking God because I know that is a quiet time to spend with him, I do what? I go on YouTube, not for 30 minutes until I get tired no, I go down the rabbit hole and 2-3 hours I’m up on YouTube.

Does anyone know how this story ends? Yup you got it right! It becomes too late for me to go back to sleep, or I go to sleep, and I wake up exhausted!

  Romans 7:15 “For the good that I will do. I do not do; but the evil I will not do, that I practice!

Some of us still have habits that do not suit us anymore now that we are in God and some of these habits (spirits) have been a part of our lives for decades.

So how do you move from a habit that seems to be ingrained in you?

If you start thinking about stopping it or letting it go of that thing right now you begin to feel scared, anxious, nervous, your heart starts racing - the works.

 That feeling is a STRONGHOLD!

For me it was refusing to touch my phone when I woke up. Some nights it worked some nights it didn’t. Some nights I just went right to it and suffered the consequences of being tired all day long. All of our habits are not deadly or grave sins, but they affect our quality of life. How do you know when you are bound by this habit or there is a stronghold in your life?

Answer: When you struggle to let it go.

Jer 26:13 Tools

Now, change your habits and your deeds and obey the LORD your God, and the LORD will change his mind about the disaster that he told you about.

Think about that thing and the feeling that came upon you when you thought about letting it go. I know that feeling, it feels like dread like losing your phone or keys and not being able to find them. This is the bondage, the captivity that Jesus came to set us free from! Yup that feeling, those thoughts that we cannot do without it, or it calms me down, or I just need to check out and let off some steam.

Whatever we tell ourselves that is all a part of the Stronghold!

Instead of trying to take it on all at once for some of us we may need to do just ONE THING! That one thing is the beginning of the change in your habits. Don’t try to do what everyone else did, the people who said they were delivered in one day, they just stopped like that! It sounds good, but it's not the case for everyone! So, while you're working it out with God know that he is able to deliver you to change that habit,

But …. What if he is waiting for you to do some of the work? What if God wants you to partner in your freedom and do just ONE THING and then just ONE MORE THING and so on?  

Thank you for reading another Moody Mindsets blog.