Break the Habit

Are you a creature of habit? Is your morning routine so set you can do it almost without thinking, and only half awake?

Yesterday the hubby and I were driving to pick up some furniture we purchased through Facebook Marketplace. (It really is a great resource for local furniture at great prices!) 

Anyway, the piece we were picking up was located in Hilton. We set the gps to the address and began to drive. When we got to the continuation of route 18, my husband almost turned right to go into Hilton, even though the gps was open right in front of him telling him to go straight. 

We both looked at each other and laughed, and signed “Habits!” 

I am used to my oldest daughter being on campus at school. And now her car lives there with her. (Yay, she got her license!) Tina spent the night at home on Friday last week, and her car was parked behind our van. 

Well, Sia and I went out to estate sales that Saturday. And even though Tina’s car is, well, the size of a car, I wasn’t used to it being there. And I backed into it. (Gently, but still.) Um, oops. Who does that??? (She totally forgave me, in case you were wondering.) 

If I had taken two seconds to look behind me and double check, I would have seen it and avoided hitting it. But my auto pilot was on and I was ready to cruise, so I moved without thinking. 

Sometimes in ministry we’re faced with people who don’t ‘get it’ the way we’ve always done it. Or they don’t respond the way everyone else does. They have questions. They need the info presented in a different way. They have needs no one else does, and the same-old-same-old just doesn’t cut it with them. No auto-pilot allowed. 

And I will admit that at first, these people are annoying. Why can’t they be like everyone else? Why do they have to have *needs*? Why do I have to be inconvenienced to ‘minister’ to them? Why can’t they just let me go through the motions and get things done?

Ew. That is ugly. I obviously have a problem. 

Just like Jimmy and I should’ve kept an eye on the gps, just like I should’ve looked out the back window to avoid Tina’s car, we need to look at each opportunity we’re given as a unique one. And perhaps humbly consider the fact that routine is sometimes laziness. We need to meet people where they are instead of being frustrated that their needs are different. 

I’m thankful God doesn’t deal with us all in the same way. He knows our individual needs and meets them. He doesn’t care how long it takes for me to ‘get it’. He gently keeps on until I do. He sacrificed everything for me to receive His good gift of salvation. If I want to be like Him, then I should put that into practice too. 

Colossians 3:12-14 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
(13) Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
(14) And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
(23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.