Dang, I needed this article in my life. I need to figure out something good to replace my negative habits when they pop up. Linking the whole article because it was so good.
Where Are Your Habits Leading You?
By Bradley Salmond and Kate Hansen
Church Magazines
Bad habits are often best overcome by replacing them with something good.
You might have a habit of using bad language in heated situations or having judgmental thoughts about others. The way that we talk in general, and even the way we talk and think about others, can impact our receptiveness to the Spirit. So be intentional about looking for the good in people. If you feel like gossiping, replace judgmental comments with something kind and uplifting.
When it comes to media, consider how the types of media you habitually consume are affecting your emotional and spiritual well-being. Think of the movies, books, TV shows, music, and social media you consume each day. How do they make you feel? How do they influence your thoughts? Do they bring you closer to the Savior?
What we choose to fill our lives with will influence how we think, speak, and behave, which determines our spiritual direction....
Think again about your habits or lifestyle. Are any of them harmful to you spiritually, physically, or emotionally? Susanna Wesley, mother of 18th-century Christian leaders John and Charles Wesley, suggested: “Take this rule: whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, takes off your relish for spiritual things, whatever increases the authority of the body over the mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may seem in itself.”
Consider what habits are distancing you from Christ. Choose one of those unwanted habits and commit to replacing it with a small and simple act that will bring you closer to the Savior.
Maybe you’ll try replacing negative self-comparison by jotting down things you’re grateful for.
Or you could replace time scrolling on social media with time spent on a walk with someone you love.
Whatever habits you choose to build or break, Jesus Christ will strengthen you as you work toward worthy goals. The daily changes you make will eventually change your nature and deepen your relationship with Him and Heavenly Father.
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