Greetings in Jesus Name!
NEW JOB… He was starting a new position as a limousine driver and was responsible for transporting some important people. One of the riders wanted him to stop before they reached their destination, so he leaned forward and gently touched the limo driver on his shoulder, but the driver reacted violently. He jumped, screamed, and lost control of the vehicle. When he got the limo under control, the riders wanted to know why he reacted that way to a simple pat on the shoulder. He explained: “I am very sorry, but this is my first day on this job as a limo driver. For the past thirty years, I was a hearse driver.”
THE CHALLENGE… When you’ve lived a certain way most of your life, it’s hard to rid yourself of past inclinations and/or habits. Anyone who has tried to make a New Year’s Resolution knows what I’m talking about. As Christ Followers, we aren’t driving a hearse any longer. The good news is we carry in our mortal bodies the person of the Holy Spirit, who is glad to assist us in our training to be more like Jesus. Last week, we kicked off a new blog series on “Training for Godliness,” and I can’t think of a more timely and healthy pursuit for each of us.
When it comes to spiritual training, the best exercises are what many refer to as spiritual disciplines. I like referring to them as “Soul Exercises” to focus on training our mind, will, and emotions.
NOT SO FAST… Before we start talking about soul exercises, I want to share with you 3 Obstacles that, if unchecked, will relegate your soul exercises to mere good intentions.
1. We Have Broken Systems.
Our daily routines are filled with multiple habits, and when linked together they become a system. Our lives are filled with multiple systems. For example, we each have a system for getting ready for work. We may have a system for putting the kids to bed. Or a system for how we try to have fun on the weekend. Ultimately our systems matter because they create behaviors. Behaviors become habits. Habits drive outcomes.
A guy named Daniel faced an overwhelming situation in his life, and we learn all he did was lean into a pre-existing system: “…He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.” (Daniel 6:10) He had great faith in a great system. What was his system? Three times a day, he stopped to spend time with God. Know this: you will not rise to the level of your goals but fall to the level of your systems.
Daniel programmed his priorities. We all have a schedule and write in the things that we can’t afford to miss. In our culture, we tend to prioritize our schedules. I recommend that you schedule your priorities. Early on in my journey with Christ, if I didn’t get alone with God at the very first of my day, it wouldn’t happen. Without even realizing it, I was creating a system that would help me grow in Christ.
I don’t recall who said it, but it’s true: Weak systems make great people look bad. Strong systems make good people look great.
Take some time to prayerfully evaluate your daily systems and ask the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom on how to address a broken system.
2. We Expect Too Much Too Quickly
In other words, we don’t see progress fast enough. For example, we run on the treadmill and still gain 3 pounds and conclude it’s not working. Or we read scripture and pray each morning for a whole week and then yell at our kids on the way to church. We wrongly conclude that small good decisions don’t have any bearing on our life.
Unfortunately, we also wrongly conclude that small bad decisions don’t have any bearing on our life. Like playing video games for 3 hours, and our spouse doesn’t leave us. We skip church one weekend, and our life goes on as usual. Or we eat a whole box of chocolates and don’t gain any weight. Every decision we make affects our lives in either a positive or negative way. No matter how small they are, your good decisions are not wasted.
Your life is the sum total of every decision you have ever made.
I have a placard on my desk that reads, “Only those who see the invisible will do the impossible.” While there is a spiritual takeaway from this mantra, there is also a practical application. It’s the things no one sees that bring results everyone wants. The apostle Paul knew this when talking to the Galatians, “So, let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (Galatians 6:9 NLT)
At Christ Place, we have a saying: “Right decisions bring right emotions.” You may not see the benefits right away, but they will come, for God honors this principle of harvest.
3. We Have A Distorted Identity
We live in a culture that wants us to find our primary identity from our successes, failures, career, family, politics, sexuality, race, or gender. Everyone has wrestled with a distorted sense of identity. As you grow in Christ, the distortion will come in the form of excuses.
- Moses kept telling God that he wasn’t a good enough speaker to represent Him to the Israelites after all “I stutter” he told God.
- Gideon kept telling God that he was the least in his family and his family was the least in their tribe. His family had never done anything great.
- The apostle Paul wrestled with his past. He had persecuted Christians and had them arrested and killed.
All too many of us don’t understand the significance of finding our primary identity in Christ. As a result of an unhealthy identity, we create unwise habits that perpetuate behavior loops of dysfunction.
Each of us can find an excuse. “This is just the way I am.” “It is what it is.” “I’m too old to change now.” Spend some time reflecting on your present form of identity. What makes you who you are, and how does this sit with Jesus? Pray and ask God to help you right-size your identity. Being His son or daughter is not only the greatest honor on the planet but the key to you embracing a solid identity.
26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.[ 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. (Galatians 3:26-29 NLT)
Next week, we will begin to talk about some specific soul training exercises. Let me encourage you to check out a series we did at Christ Place, HABITS: Shaping Who You Want To Become. Here are a couple of great books regarding habits: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and Atomic Habits by James Clear. Know this…no matter what your habits are, the Holy Spirit is your one solution to overcome that.
You Are Not Alone!
Rick Lorimer
Lead Pastor
Christ Place Church
“Successful people do consistently what other people do occasionally.” – Craig Groeshel
“Our Habits will make us or break us. We become what we repeatedly do”. – Shawn Covey
“If you want to see your future, just imagine behaving exactly as you have in the last period of time.” – James Clear
“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself.” Paul the Apostle (1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT)
