Some habits die hard. Some don’t seem to die at all.
You know the pattern. You make a fresh start. You pray about it and you really mean it this time. Then, before long, the old behaviour creeps back in. What follows is usually frustration, and often something heavier: shame. The quiet conclusion that you are simply the sort of person who cannot change.
Paul offers Timothy another way. “Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress” (1 Timothy 4:15, NLT). Notice he says progress, not perfection. Notice, too, that the verbs are ongoing. Not half-hearted. Not once and done. Daily, faithfully, repeatedly. Change takes root not in the drama of a breakthrough, but in the rhythm of obedience.
David knew this. He conquered Jerusalem and built a city, but inside that city there were still strongholds of his own: lust, pride, disobedience, silence in the face of injustice. And yet we read that he became more and more powerful, because the Lord God Almighty was with him (2 Samuel 5:10). Why? Because when David fell, he got back up. He repented. He humbled himself. He returned to God again and again.
We see the same thing in the Salvation Army every week. In addiction recovery. In discipleship groups. In ordinary people showing up at work, at home, and in their communities and choosing faithfulness one more time. People grow bit by bit. Not by magic, but by grace and practice.
You don’t need to have it all sorted. You just need to start.
So here’s today’s question: what one habit is God inviting you to practise today?
▶ Watch the five-minute devotional here: