Trying to become the “Champ”, you might become the Chump!

Years ago, my brothers and our friends would go snow sledding down a very steep hill we had named “suicide hill”. It was almost a vertical drop that ended in a ditch with a small stream in it. The challenge was to sled down as far as you could and then bail out in time to not go into the ditch. “Brainless”, yes…but we were young and believed ourselves indestructible. To this point no one had remained on the sled to the point of no return. Then a friend of ours did. He jumped on the sled and said he was going to break the record. We all stood in awe as he remained on his sled all the way into the ditch, destroying his sled and injuring himself. When we reached him, we asked why he had done that? He replied, “I thought I had it all under control, but before I knew it I was flying into the ditch.” The fact that he was now the champ did not bring him much solace, his broken teeth, bruised shoulder and very sore rear-end impacted his victory!  

Destructive habits are very much like that. We think we have control and before we know it they have us! We are looking at how to conquer destructive habits – we have already looked at two principles:

[1] Engraft scripture into your life and make it personal

[2] Importance of mental state:  Reckon sin powerless

The next principle makes a statement on how serious we are about seeing victory over a destructive habit. Talk is cheap and many times we say we want to see success, but the truth is we only “want to” want to. We have good intentions but no follow up actions. To move from “wanting” to want to, to “I want to” see victory we need steps of action. The first is our next principle:

[3] Remove temptations

Romans 13:14  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

This will include making a list – Step back and prayerfully consider what things in your life open the door for the destructive habit. The list you draw up will be the things that you need to remove from your life. If it’s a drug of some kind throw it out, pour it down the drain, get it away from you. This is a conscious commitment, and it will show itself even if you fail. For example – let’s say it is alcohol – if you fall and buy a bottle, afterwards, when you regret giving in, take whatever you have left and pour it down the drain – even if it is unopened. Watching all that money go down the drain will help you realize how destructive this habit is. If it is pornography – go through all your movies and throw away anything that has any nudity…no matter how little. Limit yourself to no private time on a computer. Clean all stored files off your computer, including the cookies that take you to the porn sites.

There is another step that is the cement to your commitment, and we will look at it next time.  

Before that though, this next principle is essential to help you remain determined in your commitment to see victory. We must understand the danger of sin, to do that is our next principle.

[4] Understand how sin works!

We think we can control “how much” sin or destructive habitual behavior we can have before it controls us. We convince ourselves that on our own we can be champions over our flesh. Question: If you are in an airplane at 25,000 feet, then decide to step outside, how far will you fall? 10,000 feet? 24,999 feet? No all the way! Why? Because that is how gravity works! Sin works the same way! It will not take you half the way there; it’s determined to take you all the way there!

Galatians 5:9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. 

Song 2:15  "Catch the foxes for us, The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, While our vineyards are in blossom."

The warning Peter gives us should sober us:

2 Peter 2:20 For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 

This is not saying we have lost our salvation; this is addressing the issue of sin’s control and being dominated by sin. If we are delivered from sin or destructive habits when we entered into a relationship with Christ, yet go back to them, they will re-enter our life with a fierce determination to dominate us. We must decide to be diligent to catch any habit early and make sure it is not destructive.

Meditation Questions: Do you know your weak areas? What are you doing to fortify them? Do you have things in your life that open doorways to your weak areas? What are they and what are you doing to close those doors? Do you believe in “little” sins and “Big sins”? Explain. If you feel trapped by a destructive habit, what are you doing about that? Do you have a plan? If not, why? Is so, what is it?