6-10You've been raised on the Message of the faith and have followed sound teaching. Now pass on this counsel to the followers of Jesus there, and you'll be a good servant of Jesus. Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take it to heart. This is why we've thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We're banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers. (The Message)
How long does it take to develop a habit? It was a question recently raised by a friend on Facebook. Behavior experts say that it takes at least 28 days of doing something before it becomes ingrained enough to change your behavior. But I would argue that even 28 days is not enough. That amount of time might lead you to have a better chance of making something permanent but I have known plenty of people who have been diligent about exercise or diet for a long period of time only to one day give it up and go back to the old ways. I think Paul has it right in that it isn't just doing something daily but it is throwing yourself completely into something. It is throwing out all of your bigger clothes out and saying you are never going back there. It is spending all of your savings on starting a new business so that there is no safety net to fall back upon. It is making the decision to rely each day upon the wisdom, strength, and grace of God and not your own. It is going "all in" so that you have no where else to go that leads you to change your behavior. It is risky, scary, and most people won't understand it because their fear will keep them from joining you. But for those who go
"all in" for God there is no other way.
From someone who has gone "all in" with God on a new adventure that has no guaranty of success I wish I could convince you to join me because I can't think of a better ride.
Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:
- What habits do you think Paul's readers might have needed to give up?
- What keeps you from developing the habits that would strengthen your walk with God?
- What do you think keeps people from fully committing their lives to Jesus in all ways?
- What would your life look like if you went "all in" for Jesus?
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