Kicking the Habit

I’m fairly certain that you’ve never thought of Paul’s letter to the Galatians in the context of a mis-delivered pint of beer! 

A couple of years ago I thought I’d overcome my anxiety about the regular flow of work (being self-employed, time without work is time without income), and learned to trust in God to provide. Then I realised the other day that, such good resolutions notwithstanding, I’m still measuring whether or not I’ve had a good week by the likely income at the end of it, rather than whether it has been one of worthy service to others, or has brought me closer to God.  This idea of clinging to old habits led to the strange juxtaposition noted above.

Some of the most bizarre stories are also the funniest, and the ones that seem to stick in my mind.  I remembered this one concerning a man who suffered with a deformed neck, the consequence of which was that his head was off-centre compared to his body.  One day in his local, he met a physiotherapist who was holidaying in the area.  The man observed his condition, and with one swift manipulation cured his deformity.  Drinks were ordered to celebrate; our hero said “Cheers!” ... and promptly tossed his pint over his shoulder!

When we invite Jesus to be Lord of our life, we may take some time – perhaps a number of years! – to appreciate fully the extent to which He has changed us.  St Paul wrote to the Galatians, “... don’t let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. ... You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ. ... You were running a good race.  Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? ... You ... were called to be free.” (Galatians 5:1,4,7,13)

Like the readers of Paul’s letter, we may have drifted back to, or have never left, habits in our life that are really only relics of the past: aspects of behaviour, or reactions to other people that are totally out of kilter with our new life in Christ.  They were so much part of our old life, and so normal for us then, that we don’t realise that the arrival of God’s Holy Spirit has made them redundant or defeated.  Or maybe we do realise this, but somehow seem powerless to overcome them.

Do you – like me – have something like that in your life that needs overturning, rejecting and clearing out? Maybe you have a close friend who would pray with you about it.  After all, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved,’ they say.  And if it’s a problem shared with Jesus, that proportion has to be infinitely smaller!