Habit Stacking
A couple of weeks ago, Andrew DeVaney from AsOne ministries came and shared with us in our "What if Jesus was Serious?" series and he talked about transformation. He talked about how God doesn't just want us to follow a prescribed set of rules but he wants to change us from the inside out.
Last night at youth group our lesson was also on transformation. We read about how people were transformed when they encountered Jesus. A bunch of prescribed rules won't necessarily lead us to transformation, but we do need habits that can lead us to spending time with Jesus. Spending time with Jesus is what leads to transformation.
At youth last night we talked about the concept of habit stacking. If you stack a small habit with something you already do (like brushing your teeth, eating dinner, driving to work or school, or even playing video games) you can build up that new habit more easily.
Together we brainstormed habits we already have, and a habit that would help us spend time with Jesus that we can add to the habit we already have. Students came up with things like listening to worship music in the shower, praying while you swim laps, thanking God for creation while you're on a walk, praying for a friend or family member while your video game is on the loading screen, etc. You can get pretty creative with it!
Think of it like stacking legos one lego at a time as the tower grows (in fact we actually stacked legos together last night!). The idea is that when you make small changes it can build up to big things - like transformation.
This week I invite you to reflect: What habits do you already stack together? Are there any new combinations you feel compelled to try? Remember small things can lead to big change! It only takes one small habit at a time.
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