Section 13—Personality
Chapter 64—Habits (Part 2)
Hereditary and Cultivated Tendencies Become Habits—The great hereditary and cultivated tendency to evil with Judas was covetousness. And by practice this became a habit which he carried into all his trading. Christlike principles of uprightness and justice had no room in selling and buying. His economical habits developed into a parsimonious spirit and became a fatal snare. Gain was his measurement of a correct religious experience, and all true righteousness became subordinate to this. While he continued a disciple in outward form, while in the very personal presence of Christ, he appropriated to himself means that belonged to the Lord’s treasury.—Manuscript 28, 1897.
Habits Decide the Future—It must be remembered that the youth are forming habits which will, in nine cases out of ten, decide their future. The influence of the company they keep, the associations they form, and the principles they adopt will be carried with them through life.—Testimonies for the Church 4:426 (1880).
Bad Habits More Easily Formed Than Good Ones—Children are peculiarly susceptible to impressions; and the lessons which they receive in the early years they will carry with them through life. All the learning they may acquire will never undo the evil resulting from lax discipline in childhood. One neglect, often repeated, forms habit. One wrong act prepares the way for another. That act, repeated, forms habit.
Bad habits are more easily formed than good ones, and are given up with more difficulty. It takes far less time and pains to spoil the disposition of a child than it does to imprint principles and habits of righteousness upon the tablets of the soul. It is only by constantly watching and counterworking the wrong that we can hope to make the disposition right.
The Lord will be with you, mothers, as you try to form right habits in your children. But you must begin the training process early, or your future work will be very difficult. Teach them line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little. Bear in mind that your children belong to God and are to become His sons and daughters. He designs that the families on earth shall be samples of the family in heaven.—The Review and Herald, December 5, 1899.
Habits Seldom Changed—Repeated acts in a given course become habits. These may be modified by severe training, in afterlife, but are seldom changed.—Good Health, January, 1880. (Child Guidance, 199, 200.)
Attacking Wrong Habits Does Little Good—It is of little use to try to reform others by attacking what we may regard as wrong habits. Such effort often results in more harm than good.
In His talk with the Samaritan woman, instead of disparaging Jacob’s well, Christ presented something better. “If thou knewest the gift of God,” He said, “and who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water” (John 4:10). He turned the conversation to the treasure He had to bestow, offering the woman something better than she possessed, even living water, the joy and hope of the gospel.—The Ministry of Healing, 156, 157 (1905).
Effort to Reform Comes From Desire to Do Right—It is true that men sometimes become ashamed of their sinful ways and give up some of their evil habits before they are conscious that they are being drawn to Christ. But whenever they make an effort to reform, from a sincere desire to do right, it is the power of Christ that is drawing them. An influence of which they are unconscious works upon the soul, and the conscience is quickened and the outward life is amended. And as Christ draws them to look upon His cross, to behold Him whom their sins have pierced, the commandment comes home to the conscience. The wickedness of their life, the deep-seated sin of the soul, is revealed to them. They begin to comprehend something of the righteousness of Christ and exclaim, “What is sin, that it should require such a sacrifice for the redemption of its victim? Was all this love, all this suffering, all this humiliation, demanded that we might not perish, but have everlasting life?”—Steps to Christ, 27 (1892).
Evil Habits to Be Overcome—By beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we are actually to be changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. We expect too little, and we receive according to our faith. We are not to cling to our own ways, our own plans, our own ideas; we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds that we may prove “what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Besetting sins are to be conquered and evil habits overcome. Wrong dispositions and feelings are to be rooted out and holy tempers and emotions begotten in us by the Spirit of God.—Letter 57, 1887.
Bad habits, when opposed, will offer the most vigorous resistance; but if the warfare is kept up with energy and perseverance, they may be conquered.—Testimonies for the Church 4:655 (1881).
https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/78.1165#1181
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for the power and encouragement to establish and practice the very best of habits. Please bless us to always keep our priorities in order and do our best and choicest work for You. Please bless us to steadfastly share the gospel so that it inspires cheerful obedience and sets free those captive to debasing habits. Please grant to us that strength of abiding faith, which produces good works of service and continual contentment. Bless us with a submissive heart to Your Holy Spirit that we might love and be merciful and compassionate toward others, according to Your divine purpose. Through the power of Your Holy Spirit, please bless us to lay hold on eternity and in this world be exactly all You would have us be. Please grant to us the mind and love and faith of Jesus that others might be drawn to You eternally through how we live and what we say, especially in the most trying of circumstances. Because we ask all these in the Awesome name of Your Son, Almighty Jesus the Christ, our Savior, we say Thank You and Amen.
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DO THIS…
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. —Philippians 3:14 KJV
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Do you feel sorrowful, disconnected—without a place to feel at home or useful? I pray this might show you the way forward. Watch…
https://www.youtube.com/live/2QB6fcwVuws?si=fsEvZU-rkI-BngfD
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If you want to support Christian radio programming for these final days, please visit
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I coordinate wonderful health and worship events and conferences online and onsite as a gospel medical missionary at Uchee Pines, a total plant-based health retreat, where doctors and practitioners specialize in lifestyle medicine. For event details, visit https://www.ucheepines.org/events
Therefore, if at any time you fail to receive this post as a text, please visit
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where devotionals are first posted daily (almost without fail). From there devotionals are publicly shared to my page on FB, LinkedIn, and Signal (in My Story), and to a response-restricted group on WhatsApp (once again when I am able to find the time to successfully rebuild it).
NOTE: These began as daily texts to encourage my academy roommate and dear friend of nearly 50 years, until she suddenly passed March 2023. Now I continue to compile and send them to anyone who will receive them and to her family in honor of their mom. Lately, I have begun featuring consecutive chapter portions of a select Bible-based book.
If you agree to continue receiving them, then this is my personal gift to you; and in this way, I not only honor God but the memory of a very dear friend whom I desperately miss.
My personal prayer is that God will bless me to find ways to multiply this gift, so that we all may be encouraged to be found faithful in the sight of a Holy God, whenever Christ returns or our eyes are shut in the sleep of death.
It is a prayerful process that leads me to share from my personal study.
So please feel free to forward to your loved ones or to anyone, as God leads you.
I’m calling them Barb’s Devotionals.