Habits. You’ve heard of habits, right? Have you ever stopped to think 
that most of your response to life is based on a habit? We have habits of thought that form our belief system, and habits of choices that play into our life outcome. From the smallest thing, to the largest thing, habits can either be a good thing, or literally wreak havoc in our lives.
Many of us have learned to respond to life according to our flesh. This is normal in the world and culture we live in. Once we have lived this way for many years, this lifestyle becomes ingrained just like any other habit. Like a body clock that wakes us naturally at a certain time, our habits kick in and naturally lead us down their path. For many of us, it’s time to look at our habitual way of living to make sure that we are not just habitually living in the human flesh side of us, when we can learn to live in the Spirit’s power and life within us.
Today’s Truth:
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of the world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air…All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. But because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ.” Ephesians 2:1-4
Scripture confirms that everyone of have developed as people in the developing solution of the World that we live in. This world is led by the ruler of the kingdom of the air, satan himself. Every one of us have lived learning to gratify our self and our own desires. But…then Christ…..read on….
“Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spriit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled byt he Spirit is life and peace. You however are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. Therefore, we have an obligation, but it’s not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body you will live.” Romans 8:5-6,9,12
Here we see that when we became alive in Christ, born again, with his Spirit deposited in us…we are new. We no longer have an obligation to those old habits of gratifying our self, making our self first, or demanding self’s way.
If we continue to live in the sinful nature…as outlined in all the previous posts on Living Down…we will die a slow death spiritually. If we want to be alive in the Spirit, we must pay attention and PUT TO DEATH the misdeeds of the flesh that we live in by habit. This death happens one choice at a time and is not a race to perfection. It is however a daily reckoning of ourselves dead to SELF and FLESH, and ALIVE to God.
Today’s Prayer
Father, thank you for opening my eyes to your WORD. I can see clearly how my life’s hurts have shaped some of my habits of self preservation, or my habits of dealing with things and people. But, you Lord have not left me to live in my old habits, hurts, or patterns. In Christ you have provided a better way. I can Live Up! in your Spirit. Teach me how Jesus, change me.
Thank you Lord that my obligation is not to my ways of the flesh nature in me. My obligation is to Live Up! in your Spirit rather than Living Down in my SELF.
I love the clarity your articulation of the word gives me…….Its all pretty simple if we WANT it to be. Obediance……..starving the flesh…….a muscle to be flexed and exercised so it/we become strong in the death of it. So we can Glory in the fruits of the spirit that are born from …….the death to self