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Request for template on breaking bad habits

September 25th, 2014

Steve Ray Webb
September 25, 2014

I seem to get a lot of questions that have to do with breaking bad habits. I would like a good template that combines both the biblical side (I realize that GQ has one of these) and the practical side, as recommended by behavioral therapists. Does anyone have such a thing that I could plagiarize the heck out of? Thanks and God bless!

  • Tim White Steve, it is not a template, but I try to return the believer to his/her desire to please and serve Christ (God’s unmistakable gift to all of His children). The only template we can apply to that is to “deny himself and take up his cross”.
    Yesterday at 10:30am · Like · 1
  • Elizabeth DeVore We do have an article on habitual sin (http://www.gotquestions.org/habitual-sin.html). It doesn’t have a lot of practical steps, though.
    Yesterday at 11:07am · Like · 2
  • Gwen Sellers I’m thinking that often the practical steps are specific to the behavior. Some general things would be to alter the environment to set the person up for success (i.e., remove the temptation, make doing the right thing easier and naturally rewarding), replace the behavior with a different behavior and focus more on that new behavior than on getting rid of the old behavior, controlling the thoughts (i.e., celebrate small victories, remind yourself that in Christ you are forgiven and your truest identity is as His child not as a sinner, repent and move on rather than ruminate, focus on the good (Phil 4:8)), and get some accountability partners to encourage and support you.
    Yesterday at 11:20am · Like · 4
  • Steve Ray Webb Yes, Gwen Sellers, this is very much along the lines I am thinking. Practical steps would certainly need to be specific to the behavior, thus I am not expecting a simple cut and paste, but on the other hand, there are typically a lot of commonalities like you mention. One example of a question might be: how does a person wean himself away from watching so much TV? Keep me in mind if a full-blown article comes your way. I still haven’t run into what I am seeking.
    16 hrs · Unlike · 3
  • Gwen Sellers I think I understand what you’re looking for, and that would be nice! I’ll let you know if I run across something good, Steve Ray Webb.

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