PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOR

 

Your  practical, inspirational resource for supporting your spiritual walk

 

 

After a year of focus on God’s faithfulness to us, we shift to how we remain faithful to Him by dedicating 2021 to accessing our patterns of behavior that don’t always agree with the Word of God. Patterns of behavior that, when not dealt with, spread like cancer. Those that start in private or out of sight of the public. Once they become entrenched into your lifestyle, it’s only a matter of time until they manifest in other areas of your life.

 

For the maturing Christian, sinful patterns of behavior are an agent of decay. Once sin is introduced into a relationship, a community, or an individual, spiritual productivity is diminished. The enemy gains a foothold when these defeating patterns of behavior rob you of your confidence in the power of God to give you victory over it.

 

You must be willing to get involved again in the process of working with God to gain consistent victory over the temptations your patterns of behavior create. To get the truth back the enemy has convinced you are a lie. The fact that David was a man after God’s own heart illustrates that the righteous person is not sinless but is always eager to correct his errors. There is no magic plan, prayer, or practice. There is, however, a loving Father who is ready to provide “the way of escape” if you are prepared to engage and take advantage.

 

All our struggles are spiritual in nature. Our inner turmoil, not  issues with other people. Each one is part of an ongoing struggle between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan to control our patterns of behavior. Paul could not have been more explicit about this when he wrote:

 

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”                                                                                              (Eph 6:12)

 

 

My prayer for you this year is that in all you do, how you think about yourself, how you treat others, what you say about yourself and others, and that you will realize there is a war going on; you better fight!

 

“For thought we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”                                                                        (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)