Posts made in April 2nd, 2012

Habits That Prosper Your Life

Posted by Cynthia Howerter on Apr 2, 2012 in Faith | 2 comments

A bad habit can be my undoing.  The scary thing is that sometimes I don’t even realize I am being undone by one.

There is no doubt in my mind that I need to keep my focus squarely on God each and every day.  But occasionally, something will happen to break my daily habit of doing so.

A change in schedule may cause me to skip my daily Bible reading, or forget to speak with God through prayer, or ignore the internal promptings of the Holy Spirit and instead follow my own desires.  When any or all of these things happen repeatedly, I eventually falter when difficulties arise.

My former minister, Reverend Doctor Donald J. Dawson, gave a sermon about this very issue.  The example he used, a true story, has served as a powerful guide for me.  Let me share it with you.

Pastor and author Dr. F.B. Meyer was a passenger on a ship heading to England.  One stormy night, Dr. Meyer stood on the ship’s bridge with the captain as he attempted to guide the tossing ship into a narrow port.  With visibility poor, entering the port was treacherous.  Dr. Meyer asked the captain how he would know when to turn the ship into the harbor to avoid hitting the rocks.

The captain looked at Dr. Meyer and said, “Do you see those three red lights on the shore?  When they’re all in a straight line, I can safely take the ship right in.”

Reverend Dawson explained what this means to you and me:  We, too, have three lights – Scripture, the Holy Spirit and life’s circumstances.  While the Scriptures and Holy Spirit will never mislead us, we need to use caution with life’s circumstances because they can throw us far off course.  Daily habits of Scripture reading and heeding the promptings of the Holy Spirit will firmly line us up in God’s Will and then when difficulties confront us, our lifelines will hold fast.

Last week, I renewed two habits that had recently slipped away from me.  I once again started each day with Bible reading and prayer.  It is no coincidence that those days were filled with contentment.  Several storms that sneaked up on me were dealt with quickly with help from the Holy Spirit and my knowledge of Scriptures.  Had I not resumed my good habits and been in perfect alignment with God’s Will, I may have floundered.

Have you thought about your habits?  Will they prosper you or are you drifting perilously close to danger?

“So do not be foolish but learn what the Lord wants you to do.”  Ephesians 5:17.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY

Cynthia Howerter © 2012

References:

Dawson, Reverend Doctor Donald J.  Sermon, Hampton Presbyterian Church, Gibsonia, PA.