Speaking of habits

The other day I started pulling all of the junk out from behind the shed and dragged it out to the curb for bulk pick-up. I couldn't believe how much garbage had accumulated back there in just a few short months. There were cardboard boxes, wood from a couple of projects, our old metal bed, a cart with a broken wheel, an old television set and so much more.

The truth is that I didn't realize how much stuff had built up over time. It happened slowly, one thing at a time. The truth is that the same thing happens in life all the times. It's especially true of bad habits. We start doing little things and before we know it we get ourselves in trouble. For example, when I was a teenager I decided it was cool to smoke cigarettes. I started having one once in a while with my girlfriend. Before I knew it I was hooked. By the time I was in college I was smoking two packs a day and hopelessly addicted.

I am very pleased to tell you that I quit twenty years ago this July. It wasn't easy. It took several tries. When I look back on it I can't believe how easy it was to fall into that trap and how hard it was to stop. If I were to give anyone advice today I would simply say... "Don't start."

The truth is that we need to think about our actions and what we are doing every day. We need to make sure that we are being faithful to the Lord and not getting sidetracked. We need to weed out the bad habits and anything that gets in the way of our relationship to God. We can't wait until Easter or Christmas to return our focus to Christ. We need to walk with him daily and worship him weekly.

Take it from me: These are habits that will bless you over and over again.

Cal