Sermon for today by Joyce Meyer : Get Out of the Rut!

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Topic: Get Out of the Rut!

Sometimes it can help break a bad habit if we realize that it will be dangerous or harmful to continue it.

I always had difficulty forming a habit of flossing my teeth daily, even though several dentists over the years had urged me to do so. The truth was that I just didn’t want to take the time to do it, and I thought my teeth were okay. I was busy, but eventually I spent the time anyway. This year I had about twenty dentist appointments. I had an abscessed tooth and a total of seventeen teeth that needed some kind of work. I had a lot of crowns and bridges that were very old and needed to be replaced.

By the time I went through all those appointments, I was very convinced to start flossing and doing everything else the dentist told me to do. You see, realizing the result of not doing it gave me a passion to do it. The entire problem was not caused by not flossing, but that did contribute to it.

Tony shared that his brother is a dentist and repeatedly told him that he needed to floss twice daily. He admitted that
his mouth and teeth felt better when he did it so he went to a Costco store and bought dozens of little packages of floss. He
put them in the bathroom, his car, on his desk at work, where he watched television, and in his gym bag and the laundry room. He put them everywhere so he could not forget to do it. Now he only keeps them in two places because he has formed
a habit of flossing. He formed a good habit that will keep him from suffering later on.

Years ago when the western United States was being settled, roads were often just wagon tracks. These rough trails
posed serious problems for those who journeyed on them. On one of the winding paths was posted a sign that read, “Avoid this rut or you’ll be in it for the next 25 miles.” If you don’t want to be repeating your bad habit ten years from now, start
getting out of the rut now.

I am sure that the person who ends up with lung cancer due to smoking wishes he or she had made the commitment to quit smoking. The person who loses his family due to gambling or alcohol addiction wishes he had been willing to suffer
through detox. You see, if we don’t pay the price for freedom, we will end up paying the price for bondage.

Either way we will pay a price because God’s law says that we reap what we sow.
Whatever your bad habits may be, take some time and think about what the long-term result of continuing them may
be. It might help motivate you to deal with them now.
Let’s take one more look at some of the things I am suggesting you do if you want to break a bad habit.

1. Be very committed and willing to suffer for a season if necessary.

2. Be very careful what you say about the habit.

3. Think positive, faith-filled thoughts about your journey.

4. Believe, even when you have not yet seen results.

5. Reflect on what other behaviors your bad habits are
connected to and change the pattern.

6. Focus on the one thing you want to change right now.

7. Examine what the dangers of continuing the habit may
be.
Happy habit breaking! You’re on your way, and I believe
you will have success.