desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart”
(P SALM 40:8).
• Ask God for wisdom to know and accomplish His will.
– Discern God’s priorities and plans for breaking the bad habits in your life.
– Seek God’s will regarding the best strategy for breaking each identified habit.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him”
(J AMES 1:5).
• Accept by faith that God has already given you the wisdom you need.
– Reject any thoughts that you may not be able to break your habit.
– Believe that God is guiding and enabling you to succeed.
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us”
(1 J OHN 5:14).
• Lay out in writing the strategy God has placed on your heart.
– Write down the first particular habit you plan to change and make a list of the reasons you want to change it.
– Detail the steps you will take and the various strategies you will employ.
“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted”
(J OB 42:2).
• Identity the wrong beliefs supporting your habit.
– Recall the time, circumstances, and your internal dialogue surrounding the starting of this habit.
– Replace each wrong belief with a biblically accurate belief.
“A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps”
(P ROVERBS 14:15).
• Plan ways to remove possible reinforcements of your bad habit.
– Make a list of the physical, emotional, and mental rewards reinforcing your habit.
– Negate rewards for the bad behavior by replacing them with negative repercussions. Institute rewards for engaging in a desired behavior.
“The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good man rewarded for his”
(P ROVERBS 14:14).
• Share your plan with an accountability partner.
– Enlist a mature Christian to help strengthen and support you in your efforts and to correct you when you get off course.
– Commit to being completely honest and forthright about your successes and failures.
“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed”
(P ROVERBS 15:22).
• Resolve to stay the course.
– Have no expectation that your fleshly desires will die or will accept defeat quietly, quickly, or easily.
– Put on the full armor of God on a daily basis as you wage war against the world, the flesh, and the devil.
“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes”
(E PHESIANS 6:11).
E. How to Hit the Bull’s-eye
Despite her strong faith, determination, and courage, the possibility of another shark attack is not lost on Bethany Hamilton. She answers the inevitable question, “What about sharks?”
To constantly dwell on what might happen would totally suck the joy out of the sport. Besides, it’s like asking, “What if the roller coaster comes off the track?” (It has happened.) What if the horse throws you?…Life is full of what-ifs. You can’t let it hold you back. If you do, you’re not really living at all…just kind of going through the motions with no meaning. 59
Rather than dwelling on all the reasons she shouldn’t don a swimsuit, shouldn’t get back in the water, shouldn’t surf, Bethany has focused on her purpose, priorities, and plans—with great reward. In January 2004, just over a year after the attack, Bethany won the first national title of her career. In 2008, she began competing full-time, placing third in a contest against many of the world’s best female surfers.
The key was learning what to focus on and what not to.
Have you ever said to yourself, I’m not going to eat that chocolate pie …and then all you can think about is chocolate pie? In the battle with temptation, you will shoot the arrow through your own foot if your thoughts are aimed downward. Understand
(P SALM 40:8).
• Ask God for wisdom to know and accomplish His will.
– Discern God’s priorities and plans for breaking the bad habits in your life.
– Seek God’s will regarding the best strategy for breaking each identified habit.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him”
(J AMES 1:5).
• Accept by faith that God has already given you the wisdom you need.
– Reject any thoughts that you may not be able to break your habit.
– Believe that God is guiding and enabling you to succeed.
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us”
(1 J OHN 5:14).
• Lay out in writing the strategy God has placed on your heart.
– Write down the first particular habit you plan to change and make a list of the reasons you want to change it.
– Detail the steps you will take and the various strategies you will employ.
“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted”
(J OB 42:2).
• Identity the wrong beliefs supporting your habit.
– Recall the time, circumstances, and your internal dialogue surrounding the starting of this habit.
– Replace each wrong belief with a biblically accurate belief.
“A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps”
(P ROVERBS 14:15).
• Plan ways to remove possible reinforcements of your bad habit.
– Make a list of the physical, emotional, and mental rewards reinforcing your habit.
– Negate rewards for the bad behavior by replacing them with negative repercussions. Institute rewards for engaging in a desired behavior.
“The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good man rewarded for his”
(P ROVERBS 14:14).
• Share your plan with an accountability partner.
– Enlist a mature Christian to help strengthen and support you in your efforts and to correct you when you get off course.
– Commit to being completely honest and forthright about your successes and failures.
“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed”
(P ROVERBS 15:22).
• Resolve to stay the course.
– Have no expectation that your fleshly desires will die or will accept defeat quietly, quickly, or easily.
– Put on the full armor of God on a daily basis as you wage war against the world, the flesh, and the devil.
“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes”
(E PHESIANS 6:11).
E. How to Hit the Bull’s-eye
Despite her strong faith, determination, and courage, the possibility of another shark attack is not lost on Bethany Hamilton. She answers the inevitable question, “What about sharks?”
To constantly dwell on what might happen would totally suck the joy out of the sport. Besides, it’s like asking, “What if the roller coaster comes off the track?” (It has happened.) What if the horse throws you?…Life is full of what-ifs. You can’t let it hold you back. If you do, you’re not really living at all…just kind of going through the motions with no meaning. 59
Rather than dwelling on all the reasons she shouldn’t don a swimsuit, shouldn’t get back in the water, shouldn’t surf, Bethany has focused on her purpose, priorities, and plans—with great reward. In January 2004, just over a year after the attack, Bethany won the first national title of her career. In 2008, she began competing full-time, placing third in a contest against many of the world’s best female surfers.
The key was learning what to focus on and what not to.
Have you ever said to yourself, I’m not going to eat that chocolate pie …and then all you can think about is chocolate pie? In the battle with temptation, you will shoot the arrow through your own foot if your thoughts are aimed downward. Understand
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