25 Sep Hopes & Habits (Because you can’t have uphill hopes and downhill habits) Part 6

Posted at 10:14h in Uncategorized by

Have you ever made a New Year’s resolution?  At one time or another most of us have. I know this is September, but there seems to be something wonderful about a new year.  “Things could be different!” “This will be my year!” What is the common denominator with a newborn baby, a sunrise and a new year?  Hope! All these bring hope that things could be better for us!

While hope is so important and vital, you can’t have uphill hopes and downhill habits and expect anything to change!  Let’s review…last month we shared with you “8 Habit Helpers”:

    1. Hope is not a strategy (Heb. 6:19).  
    2. The things we do and the things we should do don’t always line up (Rom. 7:19).
    3. The two greatest gaps in life are “wanting and having” and “knowing and doing”.  If you’ll close the second gap, the first gap will automatically close.
    4. We are what we repeatedly do.  
    5. We form our habits then our habits form us.
    6. Always point your saying, sowing and serving in the same direction.
    7. Always point your mouth, money and ministry in the same direction.  Again, this is the same principle as #6 but said in a little different way.
    8. Habit will take you further than desire.

Then with those as our foundation, we began to talk with you about lining up our uphill hopes with uphill habits and we shared “3 Different Dynamics”:

  1. Renew your hope (Prov. 13:12).

As we mentioned before hope is not a strategy but if you don’t have hope, you won’t even look for a strategy.

This month let’s continue…….

      2. Repent from your past (Rom. 2:4).

Here the Bible tells us, “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”  Notice the word “repentance”.  The word “repent” can be almost frightening to us.  It connotes some televangelist with slicked back hair and a three piece suit with fire coming out of his mouth, shouting at us, “Repent!”  “Turn or burn!” “Get right or get left!”

Nothing could be further from the truth.  The word “repent” is translated from the Greek word “metanoia” and is a compound Greek word from “meta” meaning “to change” and “noia” which means “mind”.  Put these two words together and now we understand to repent simply means to “change the mind”.

If you have high hopes but low habits, the best thing you can do is change your mind and combine uphill hopes with uphill habits.  Let me describe repentance to you this way with “My Life in Five Chapters”:

CHAPTER ONE:

I went for a walk, fell into a deep hole and it took me a long time to get out.

CHAPTER TWO:

I went for a walk, fell into the same deep hole and it took me a long time to get out.

CHAPTER THREE:

I went for a walk and saw the deep hole, but I got a little too close and I slipped in.  It took me a long time to get out.

CHAPTER FOUR:

I went for a walk, I saw the deep hole and then I walked around it.

CHAPTER FIVE:

I went down another street!

That, my friends, is a Greek definition of repentance…simply finding another street!  There is nothing scary about finding another street particularly when the blessing of God is at the end of that street.  What is scary is continuing to go down the same street and falling into the same hole over and over again!

Next month we will continue this series…