Have you ever thought about how you can constantly find yourself doing certain things which you know very well that it is having a negative impact in your life but you cannot seem to stop it?

Well, I have and at some point I made a decision to put an end to such things. Such things in this blog I refer to as self-sabotaging habits.

Romans 7:15 – For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.

What is Self?

As a child of God, your  “self” is who God has made you be in Christ Jesus. In the book of Ephesians, Paul says to the church in Ephesus, put on the new self that is created to be like God in true holiness and righteousness (ref. Ephesians 4:24). Our new self is born by the Spirit of God and redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ to live victoriously in Him.

Habits & Actions

As human beings, we are action beings which mean that we live to do things. Most of our actions are repeated patterns which we often referred to as habits. With that, we should always seek to align all our actions in the will of God as our habits or actions always influence our “self” outcomes.

 The purpose of this new self is to live in true holiness and righteousness reflecting the glory of God. But as we can testify in our Christian life, we always face opposition when it comes to fulfilling the will of God.

In this blog, the opposition that we will highlight is the self-sabotaging habits that prevent us from reflecting the glory of God in our new self. God has created every person on this earth with a purpose to fulfill and for that purpose to be fulfilled, there are certain actions that you must perform which will lead you towards fulfilling this purpose. But due to the desires of the flesh, you can find yourself doing certain things that can prevent you from living up to your destiny in Christ.

 

Four (4) Steps to break self-sabotaging habits

In this blog, I will share four (4) steps I have found in my walk with God that helps me to break the habits in my life that seek to sabotage my new self.

The first step is that I acknowledge that I have a habit

I strive to always to stay humble to acknowledge that I have a habit that hinders me from reflecting who I am as a child of God. The Spirit of God convicts my heart when something is not right and must change. Also, God has used others to reveal things in my life that do not align with His will to me. For this knowing to occur, it is very important, we always stay humble, God draws near to those who are humble and seek His righteousness. As you accept that there is something that needs to change in your life in order for you to live to fufill God’s will, you experience what is termed as true repentance.

In the Bible, David experienced true repentance when He sinned and realized that the sin was not in God’s will, he acknowledged this flaw and confessed to God.

Psalm 32:5 – I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Beloved never forget that you are in a battle and the enemy and his forces are seeking to destroy your life. The enemy can lure you into a habit to sabotage you life, so be aware of that so that you may seek to break such habits when you see them. Having a habit that prevents you from aligning with the will of God is a tug on your life to draw you away from God. Set your mind to overcome this battle by preparing to attain victory over the habit.

The second step is I seek the Lord’s Help

 Change as many of us might have encountered is hard but with God all things are possible. In the Bible verse Psalm 32:5, David knew His problem was only solvable by God alone and so must we understand as children of God that only God holds the power to true deliverance

 

 

 John 8:36 He who the Son sets free is free indeed.

 

 Our burden, problems and all situations are solved by no other but God alone. In seeking the Lord’s help, is when I pray, by crying unto God for His delivering power to save me by breaking the hold of this habit over my life. God promises in His word that when we cry unto Him, He will save us – Psalm 34:17. I have not seen or heard anyone who sought the Lord and was ever disappointed. True faithfulness in waiting upon the Lord will always bring His power to manifest in any situation,

David confessed His sins and God forgave him. When we seek God’s help, we are surrendering to His might and power to manifest in our lives. Dear one, you cannot do it based on your own ability, not by any mere sophisticated methods but it the grace of God alone. I do not know what habits you want to break in your life, but right now, cry unto God and He will deliver you.

God will use people, resources, many avenues and even instant deliverance but in all, it God who saves us. What is it that that seems to be a hold over life at this point, Jesus Christ is calling you: 

Matthew 11:28- 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

The third step is I yield to the Spirit of God

When I seek God, He speaks to me through His word to teach me on what I ought to do and He provides the grace to obey His word. The Spirit of God comes to help us to live as Christ will want us to live. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Harken to the voice of the Spirit of God that convicts you when you stray from the path of God. God the Holy Spirit is here with me and you to help us live in obedience to God. Let us yield to His power and Lordship always and we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh – Galatians 5:16. Dear one, make the Spirit of God your companion, let Him direct you, lead you, chasten you and help you to live victoriously in Jesus Christ.

Galatians 5:16-18 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law

The last step is I set my heart daily to examine myself

Always reading the word of God and yielding to the Spirit. As long as you live in this world, fleshly desires are bound to come our way but it God’s power at work in us that helps us to overcome. Daily in my prayers, I seek God’s mercy to search me and purify me from all that do not align with His word.

David prayed this way,

Psalm 139: 23 –Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

To conclude this blog, Paul’s letter to the church  at Philippi,

Philippians 2:12 –Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling

This what I do in my own personal assessment to ensure my daily routines and habits are in God’s purpose and plan for my life. 

We ought to always be Christ conscious. Apostle Paul did His this way, He disciplined His body, do not allow fleshly habits to prevent you from reaching the goal of the Kingdom of heaven.

1 Corinthians 9:27-27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Stay blessed. 🙂