Breaking Habits!

Good Morning Gamers!
I trust you slept well and are excited about what today brings!! I know I am!!!

You know we are reading in Proverbs 3 today and I am in the NLTse and the New King James Version (NKJV)...

As always, a chapter in Proverbs is loaded with wisdom and insight, and chapter 3 is no different; but my bold print today is verse 7:

7: Don't be impressed by your own wisdom, instead fear the Lord and turn away from evil" (NLTse)

In the NKJV, "turn away from evil" is translated "shun evil"...this is a word choice that I want to explore. The word shun means to: "avoid deliberately; and especially habitually" (Merriam-Webster's dictionary) This tells us that there has to be some understanding and wisdom that goes into "shunning evil"...

So, what am I getting at? There are some traps, pitfalls --- SINS -- in our lives that mess us up, aren't there? Things that we know we shouldn't do, but we find ourselves falling for the "okie-doke" of this sin all the time! We think we have it under control OR we have "figured it out this time" and we tell ourselves "NO MORE"!! And yet, we soon fall for it again!!

So, let's go back to the definition of shun one more time and get some important details:

• "Avoid deliberately" indicates that we should be paying attention to where we are going or what we are doing, right? When you are paying attention to detail -- looking ahead at the path you are on -- you can see the dangers or situations coming that set us up to fall. This is also called foresight....
  

• The "especially habitually" part means that we make a habit of avoiding this sin!! Researchers have determined that it takes at least 21 days to break a habit; so like all change -- it's incremental -- but it can be done!! It's going to take patience and perseverance..."change is a process"
  

So, what's next............? Simple: you KNOW what that thing is in your life that you fall for. Here are some suggested steps that we can follow:

1. Stop playing games with it -- "Fear the Lord (which is the beginning of wisdom- Prov. 9:10) and turn away...shun it"
   
2. Deliberately avoid -- making a habit of this avoidance; and grow stronger!!
3. Stay away from enabling situations -- run like Joseph if you have to!!!
4. Most importantly, if you are applying your heart to wisdom as we have be talking about since Post #1, you are already forming habits that will strengthen your ability to shun!!
   

Well, you have some big decisions to make, Gamers! But, not just for today -- habit-changing decisions, right? Well, its time to "just do it"!!

Today -- you can shun & gain victory over it!!

Stay in the Game!

~Coach O