Believe it or not, I have had some really bad habits in my life. People don’t believe it now, but as a teenager, I had a foul mouth. I wouldn’t use bad language around my parents because I knew they didn’t accept it. But on the playing field and with my friends, the words I used weren’t very becoming.
My other old bad habit involved my temper. When I was younger, I was very competitive. So in junior high and high school, if I lost a game, I’d fly off the handle. We all have bad habits. But bad habits don’t have to last forever. I was able to break the two I mentioned and you can break your bad habits, too. Here’s how.
Make a solid decision.
I realized that if I wasn’t careful, I would have anger and a foul mouth forever. I wanted to be better. That’s when I made a decision to stop. Any kind of change you want to make has to start with a solid decision and commitment. If you want to change your life, you have to change your behavior. Choose to be different. Pursue traits and activities other than those bad habits.
Ask God for help.
Bad habits get ingrained into us. Breaking them requires transformation at the core.After I made the decision to change, I decided to pray about it. I asked God for help. Bad habits get ingrained into us. Breaking them requires transformation at the core. Anytime I was tempted with the way I spoke or before I entered a situation where my temper might act up, I would ask God to help me stay under control. After praying about it for a good amount of time, staying calm and controlling my language became a natural part of who I am.
Now those bad habits are long gone. Make a decision for more and ask God to mold and change you. You’ll see your own bad habits disappear.
Sound off: What bad habits have you broken and how did you break them?
Huddle up with your kids and ask, “What are some good habits we could start doing as a family?”