How to Defeat Harmful Habits (Counseling Through the Bible Series) by June Hunt Read Free Book Online Page B

can do everything through him who gives me strength”
    (P HILIPPIANS 4:13).
B. Key Passage to Read and Reread
    “My mom and I were praying for God to show me His will,” said Bethany. “I wanted to be a light for Him in everything I was doing. And then, a couple of weeks later, the shark attack happened.” 39 At that point, had Bethany questioned God’s plan for her life, few would have blamed her. To be sure, she grappled with at least two more critical questions: Would she spend her life in fear of whether God could be trusted, or would she choose a life of faith ?
    Of all the questions that crowded into her mind, “Why?” became the one she asked herself the most—but with a faith-filled twist. “I have this thought every second of my life,” she said. “‘Why me?’ Not necessarily in a negative way—like, ‘Why did this horrible thing have to happen to me?’ But more, ‘Why did God choose me and what does He have in mind for me?’” 40
    By habitually training her mind to focus on the promise of God’s plan rather than fearing the possibility of future peril, Bethany discovered the freedom to pursue her dream.
    Y OUR T RUE F REEDOM G ALATIANS 5:13-17
    Freedom! People live for it and die for it…cherish it and curse it. But what does it mean? How do you get it? How do you keep it? Some say freedom is being able to do and say whatever they want. Others are more restrictive, adding, “As long as no one else’s freedom is violated.” But freedom, from God’s perspective, is not being able to do whatever we want but being able to do whatever is right. For those controlled by harmful habits, freedom means having the ability to choose how they will think and behave, which involves breaking the power of the habits controlling them.
    According to God’s Word, the solution to a bad habit is not just replacing it with a good habit, but also examining what first made us susceptible to developing that bad habit. The Bible says our natural inclination is to sin, which means doing things our own way rather than God’s way. It’s a struggle we all have in common, a struggle we all can win—as long as we are empowered by the Spirit of God to say no to our will and yes to God’s will. Truly, there is no real freedom apart from Him.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery”
    (G ALATIANS 5:1).

     
    • You are called to be free, so don’t use your freedom to be self-indulgent (verse 13).
    • You are commanded to love, so don’t fight one another (verses 14-15).
    • You are to live empowered by the Spirit, so don’t live to gratify your natural desires (verse 16).
    • Your natural inclinations conflict with the Spirit’s inclinations, so don’t allow yourself to be enslaved (verse 17).
C. How to Have Success in Self-control
    Just three weeks after the attack, Bethany Hamilton waded into the Pacific Ocean—her parents and brothers verbally encouraging her, though inwardly unsure of what to expect. Rather than the long board she was accustomed to using, Bethany started over with a beginner board. Never would she forget what happened next.
    “In some ways it was like learning to surf all over again. I had to learn how to paddle evenly with one arm.” Her initial tries didn’t work. Discouraged, she thought returning to surfing would be easier. “Then it happened…It’s hard for me to describe the joy I felt after I stood up and rode a wave for the first time after the attack. Even though I was all wet, I felt tears of happiness trickling down my face.” 41
    Bethany had taken the first step toward her dream. Determination helped lift her atop her surfboard that November day…but another power was also at work. “It was what God had taught me growing up that helped me overcome my fear and get back on the board,” she said. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the L