"Indeed the safest road to hell is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts,… Your affectionate uncle, Screwtape.” C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
Habits are
extremely important. They are also
frustrating. Experts say that it
generally takes between two and three months to establish a habit; it takes
only two consecutive days to begin to break the habit. The devil understands this well. Thus his
strategy is to gently nudge us in the wrong direction. He knows that if we truly saw where we were
headed, we would immediately turn away.
So, he just softly leads us in the wrong direction, knowing that
momentum is a difficult thing to change.
He constantly
feeds us the line, “this one time will not matter.” He encourages us to think, “This one day won’t
matter”, or “I will start tomorrow.”
Soon one time becomes two, two becomes three, and before we know it, the
habit is established. One day becomes
two, and before we know it, a week has passed. Once that week has passed, it is
so difficult to shift the momentum back in the right direction.
Aristotle said
it this way, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act,
but a habit." Developing good
habits and being vigilant about maintaining those habits will lead to a life of
excellence.
Some reading
this have a bad habit they have been trying to break for a long time. While good habits take a seemingly long time
to develop, bad habits are annoyingly stubborn.
Remember too, however, experts say that two consecutive days of not
doing something and the habit begins to weaken.
The old adage is, “one day at a time.” I say to you, not one day, but
two. Don’t do whatever it is for two
days straight. You will notice that the bad habit has less power over you – not
that it is completely gone, but it is weakening. Then repurpose yourself to another two days.
Before long, the habit will be broken.
Try also to
begin to develop good habits. You know
what they are. Set your sight on just
two consecutive days, the set the goal of two more days. Before long, you will have established a good
habit. And, give yourself grace if you fail.
Do not ever believe you cannot do it.
Just take the next right step… and then take one more.
Finally, you do
not have to do it alone. In fact, often
we cannot do it alone, as hard as we try. His grace is made perfect in weakness
(2 Corinthians 12:9). He will help you
and give you strength. And other people
can be a big help in keeping you accountable and encouraging you. Do not be afraid to ask for help.
The devil will
gradually try and shift you in the wrong direction. That is why this very day
matters. Take a stand and do what is
right. Change directions and shift the momentum. James put it this way, “Stand
firm against the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7.
