Elevation Point Church

We all have support systems in our lives — family, friends, vices, and things that carry us places. However, support comes and goes. Friends that support you one day, may leave you the next. Places you looked to for support one day, may be destroyed the next. Many of our lives are shaky because we’ve placed our hope and trust in shaky supports.

If we are going to build good habits, it also means we have to overcome bad habits. We tend to hope that good habits will outweigh bad habits; when in reality, it’s a combination of both — beginning good habits, but also removing bad habits. Sometimes bad habits don’t seem to be all that bad, but they’re preventing us from great. In this final week of “Habits,” we’re looking at practical steps to remove bad habits, so we can make room for the right habits.

Whenever we think it all has to be put together before we can see a change, we don’t even start. Rather than focusing on the BIG goal, dream, vision, change — what would happen if we started with one SMALL change? One small act of obedience, one small change of pace, one small change of routine, can produce big results in the hands of God.

Many of us have the best of intentions. We have the right hearts. But it still seems like it’s difficult to get it right all the time. It still seems like it’s difficult to make the right decisions all the time. It still seems like it’s difficult to make the right choice all the time. Sometimes, it just seems like we’re too much to handle. And that’s ok — because we’re not the answer… Jesus is!

Whenever we read or talk about the story of the prodigal son, we tend to focus on the son that made the obvious mistake. We focus on the son the left his father. The one that left the source. But he wasn’t the only son that made a mistake. The brother who stayed also made a mistake. He made the mistake of not appreciating what had always been available to him. Both brothers made different mistakes, but the father loved them both the same. Likewise, we’ve all made mistakes — and our “level” of mistakes never disqualifies us from God’s love and acceptance.

Whenever God gives direction, He follows through. He doesn’t change His mind. He doesn’t lead us astray. The instructions from Him are not what cause us to lose our way or get off track — our decision to listen to other voices is what leads us in the wrong direction. However, the beautiful thing about God’s love is that He’s always there, always waiting. When we decide to seek His leading again, He’s still there to guide us in the right direction — which never changed.

Life has a way of landing us in places we don’t feel we deserve to be in. In Acts 12, Peter found himself in prison. He didn’t “deserve” to be in prison, but he was there nonetheless. In those moments, we can have our doubts about what God is doing. About if He’s even doing anything. But in the end, God will always reveal Himself, His plan, and His direction to us.

In order to make room for Jesus to move, we may have to remove some of what we’re holding onto. What if what Jesus is wanting to do in our lives isn’t what we think He’s wanting to do? What if Him working in and through our lives isn’t how we think he’s going to work? Jesus rode into Jerusalem to a triumphant entry, but the very first thing He did after was disrupt what was taking place in the temple amongst those who thought they had it all figured out.