Ditch the Bad, Embrace the Good–Your Path to a New You

Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God–truly righteous and holy.

Ephesians 4:22-24 (NLT)

 

As we step into the month of September, we begin to see the changes that nature makes to prepare for fall. The trees are shedding their dying leaves to prepare for all the growth needed for survival in the coming months. Much like plants preparing for a cold winter, we also should be shedding off the dying pieces of ourselves in order to build resilience for hard times to come.

 

Here are three steps to ditch your old ways and embrace new growth:

 

• Drop a Bad Habit

Drop just one bad habit to start. Sometimes we try to fix it all at once, and we end up disappointed and discouraged when we fail. Trying to quit all of your harmful routines at once is impossible! Start small and build on the foundation of that small victory.

Keep in mind, you will likely fail a few times along the way. Talk with God about the failure and continually seek help from the Holy Spirit. He will lead and guide you while giving you the endurance to keep resisting the bad habit.

 

• Pick Up a Good Habit

Once again, start small. Find an activity, hobby, or scheduled rest break that the Lord can use to grow your new nature. If you’re choosing the right habit, it won’t be easy to implement at first. Your old nature will fight against the new one.

For example, if you’re trying to quit binge drinking and decide to drink sparkling water instead, always stay alert and be aware that you will probably find yourself in the grocery store wanting to pick up a case of beer instead of the 12-pack of LaCroix. 

Our minds and bodies become a war zone sometimes, as we try to choose between the old habits that we know will harm us and the new habits that bring true fulfillment. Be prepared to do battle with yourself!

 

• Find Someone to Keep You Accountable

This is a huge part of growth. We have to do life in community with other people. We must be vulnerable by sharing our struggles, because we can’t grow in isolation. Isolation actually creates the perfect environment for falling back into old bad habits.

Think of a body of water. When it lacks a source of fresh water it becomes stagnant and fills with bacteria. Overcome by bacteria, it will eventually dry up and die. We need an outside source to help keep us fresh and growing. A closed system dies every time.

You need a person you can trust to check in on you. And remember that you will fail sometimes, and you will need to tell this person about your failure. If you’ve chosen the right person, they will encourage you, pray for you, and help you find your way back on track.

 

When we let our old habits die away and make room for new ones, we allow healthy growth that brings the fullness of life. As the verses above remind us, our new nature can lead us to righteousness and holiness in Christ Jesus. What can be more fulfilling than that?

 

Questions:

1. What bad habit should you ditch and what good habit should you embrace?
2. Who can you ask to be an accountability partner for you?