I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.

Psalm 119:147, NIV (1978)

 

Here's a modern-day parable about habit:

 

A young boy was walking with his grandfather. The grandfather had become more concerned recently with the habits this young boy was developing. He was not always on time. He often had to be told more than once to do his chores or homework. Sometimes, even, the grandfather suspected the boy was not always fully truthful in his conversation. 

 

As they were walking along the way, they came to a field that was untended and overgrown with Russian Thistle, a prickly plant with a pretty, purple flower. Noticing a new sprout, he asked the grandson if he could pull it up for him, and the boy did so with ease. Spying another plant that was about 6 inches tall, he asked the boy to pull that one, which the boy did with relative ease, but he noticed that all of the roots did not come up with the plant. Finally, the old man pointed out a fully mature plant, nearly three feet tall and covered with prickly thistles. He asked the boy to pull this one up as well, but the boy was quickly scratched and poked by the prickly plant and he soon gave up.

 

Giving up on ridding this field of its weeds, the two approached a wooded area, with trees in various stages of growth. Included in this forest were a number of impressive Oak trees, some of which had obviously been there for many years. Noticing a small seedling that was sprouting from one of the acorns that had no doubt fallen off one of these mighty oaks, the grandfather asked if the boy could pull that up, which the boy did with ease. Next, the old man pointed out a sapling which was probably about a year old, and he directed the boy to pull this one up as well which, again, the boy did with relative ease. Next the grandfather pointed out an oak that was about 5 foot tall, and again he instructed the boy to try and pull it up. The boy strained and pulled, using both hands and bracing his entire body for the effort. Finally, the tree came up, showering the lad with dirt, but the task was done, except this time the boy clearly left a few roots behind. Finally, the grandfather pointed out a stately tree, 60 feet high and easily six feet in diameter. "Could you pull this one up?" he asked his grandson. "It's not possible, grandfather" the boy replied, "I can't even wrap my arms around the trunk".

 

This is where the old man (and me) finally came to the point. He explained to his grandson that these weeds and trees were like habits. Good or bad, once the habit matures, it becomes harder and harder to kill. The bad habits like not doing your chores, or "fudging" a bit on the truth, were the weeds. Like the weeds, if caught early, they could quickly be addressed and removed. But allow those habits to take root and the boy would likely find them almost as hard to get rid of as a pesky stand of weeds.

 

On the other hand, good habits had similar traits. If you quit practicing this habit before allowing it to fully develop, you would find that it was easy to uproot! However, if you continue to nurture that good habit and continue to allow it to grow, before you know it you have a mighty tree of character that will continue to grow as long as it is tended to properly.

 

Well, that's a neat little story, but how does it apply? The past two days we talked about the importance of prayer and Bible reading. Many people get enthusiastic about such virtues at the beginning, but after a while they let these good habits die before they have a chance at taking root. So, what's the solution?

 

My encouragement to you is this: For the next thirty days, begin your day with prayer. Don't set a foot out of bed before you have had a chance to thank God for the new day, and to humbly ask for His help for living the day right. Total time - about 30 seconds! Next, before you nourish your body with breakfast, take a moment to open up your Bible and read just a chapter. I have been starting my day off by reading a chapter from the Psalms or Proverbs for about twenty years now. It does not take the place of my regular Bible reading or study, but it does have a way of starting my morning off with a thought that I can carry with me for the entire day. Total time - about five minutes!

 

Do this for thirty days, and I believe you will have developed a habit that changes the direction of your thoughts, and therefore the direction of your life. And, after these thirty days are passed, your habit will be extremely hard to uproot, for I suspect you will have so enjoyed the blessings that will come from this five-minute habit, that you would not stop even if someone tried to make you.

 

Are you tired of the direction of your life? Maybe trading a bad habit for one that is good will make all the difference. What have you got to lose by giving it a try? What have you got to gain if it works?