This morning, we

continue our new message series entitled, “Habits.”   Through this message series, we’re learning

about how to do small things consistently, which ultimately leads to an

abundant life of integrity.

Small habits lead to

big change!

So far, we’ve been

encouraged to develop the habit of seeking God and the habit of reconciliation.

According to the

Harvard Business Review about 40 – 45% of what we do every day is done out of

habit.  Think about how much time we

spend every day as a result just automatically doing what we do without

thinking about it.  It’s not a surprise,

then that small habits lead to big change! 

Our daily habits end up defining who we are and what we do given any

situation.

Habits are a critical key to success.  This is true for a business and the habits of its employees.  This is true for a team and the habits of its players.  This is true for a church and the habits of its attendees.  This is true for a family and the habits of its members.  This is true for your life and mine and the habits that we choose to establish within them.

Consider fast food restaurants.  Their tremendous success is not based on hiring the best chefs or most hospitable cashiers.  Their success is based on their ability to form easy-to-reproduce habits in their employees.  Whether you to go a McDonald’s in California, Montana, or good old western Pennsylvania, you are extremely likely to receive the same welcome, see the same menus, and eat the same food.  Franchises rely on the ability to form good habits.

The assembly line was developed with this same concept in mind.  Each individual develops a habit to do the same individual task over and over again with excellence.  Then, through the work of those individuals coming together, greatness is achieved.  Henry Ford is most noted for leveraging our God-designed default to habits to achieve incredible success.  If we were wise, we’d take time to intentionally develop our habits to work to our advantage as well.

Psychologists found

that habits exist as three components. 

There is a cue or trigger, followed by an action, followed by a

reward.  Most of us are extremely

dependent and stubborn when it comes to our habits.  If we miss them, then we feel off or

incomplete.  For example, having a cup of

coffee as soon as you wake up.  Or

perhaps brushing your teeth before bed. 

Or maybe a quick kiss from your spouse before you part ways for the day.

Changing our habits

begins with understanding our cues and rewards. 

We have to understand what triggers us to do a certain behavior and also

what reward we receive from doing it. 

It’s often easier to get advice on what these things are from an outside

observer.  After all, the habits that we

have developed happen unconsciously to us.

It can be almost

humorous to mess with people’s habits. 

There are so many that we develop that we’re completely unaware of!  Try flipping the toilet paper roll so that it

faces the opposite direction.  Place the

hand soap or toothpaste on the other side of the sink.  Swap the position of the spoons and forks in

the silverware cupboard.  Pull the car

into the garage instead of backing it in. 

Habits are then quickly revealed!

Have you ever drove

down the road on the weekend and begin taking the turns to go to school or

work?  You do it without even thinking

because it has become a habit.  Several

steps triggered or cued you to begin driving that direction without ever

stopping to consciously decide to do so.

Life consists far

less of huge decisions and far more of little ones.  Aristotle said that we are what we repeatedly

do.  Developing Godly habits in the

little decisions are what help us to be successful.  Small habits lead to big change!

If all of this is

true, then God must have intentionally created us in this way.  He designed us to be creatures of habit.  This ability to develop habits makes it

possible for us to more easily live lives of integrity.  The go