Habits. What do you think of when that word is mentioned? Smoking? Drinking alcohol? Playing video games around the clock? Constantly Facebooking? Biting fingernails?
It's strange, isn't it? The word "habit" usually brings to mind something not healthy for us or something we know we need to get control of in our lives.
However, habits can actually be GOOD things too. For example, brushing your teeth is a habit. Putting on your shoes before you go to work is a habit. Closing the toilet lid IS a habit!
So if that is the case, why do we always assume the worst when it comes to habits? I don't know. But I DO know that some habits are meant to be practiced - and practice them, we must.
For example, while reading the story of Daniel and the Lion's den one day, I noticed something about habits, I had not noticed before. King Darius had been tricked into signing a law that would jeopardize his precious servant's life. Some jealous leaders decided that Daniel had entirely too much power in their kingdom. After all, Daniel was supposed to be a slave. Yet, God had blessed him in captivity, and he had risen in the ranks to be one of he highest in command of Babylon. So, the high-ranking officials who were actually from Babylon, tricked the king into signing a law stating that anyone who prayed to another god besides the king, would be cast into the lion's den.
Pretty desperate times for Daniel. He had a choice to make. He could either continue to pray to God three times a day with his window open to Jerusalem as he had done in the past, or he could, in essence, save his life by not opening his window. He could still pray to God. He didn't HAVE to let others see. After all, he was in Babylon for a reason...a reason that would be for naught if he were to end up on the dinner menu for a bunch of lions.
Daniel 6:10 provides us with his decision in the midst of these grave circumstances: "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room with his windows opened towards Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days."
There it is. Daniel's death penalty signed, sealed and delivered. God, however, had other things in mind. If you don't know what happened after that, make sure you find a Bible and read the rest of the story. It's amazing, to say the least.
But what I want to focus on, is the habit of Daniel - his "custom." As I said earlier, I had read this truth tale before, and I knew that in the face of danger, Daniel didn't cave. I also knew that it was Daniel's habit to pray three times a day with his windows open to Jerusalem. However, I didn't recognize Daniel's OTHER habit...his "custom since early days."
Thankfulness.
Scripture says, Daniel "prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days." Can you imagine being in Daniel's position and actually being thankful? I think I found the answer. It's simple. Being thankful was his "custom" - his "habit." Even in the early days when he was taken captive as a teenage young man, shipped off to a foreign land away from his family, he was thankful, as was his custom. Being thankful was something that he chose to do...something that he chose to put into practice over and over again. He was in the habit of being thankful. So, when everything seemingly STOPPED going his way - when the circumstances changed - his habit carried him through. His "habitual practice; the usual way of acting in any given circumstances" continued, even in the midst of defying the king's orders and his own death penalty (Dictionary.com).
Daniel was thankful...habitually thankful.
Now, that's a habit that we, as Believers, need to instill in our lives. At least, I know that I do. When the trials come - and they will - I need to be thankful that God still has all under control. When the storms seem larger than life and threaten to swallow me whole - I need to be thankful that God never leaves me in the midst of them.
How about we create a new habit today...a really good one! Let's start by practicing thankfulness when we feel our temperature rising from annoyances, when we feel threatened and fearful, when our day just gets off on the wrong foot. Concentrate and find something to be thankful for in the midst of the chaos. Let's practice being thankful today, and tomorrow, and the next, until thankfulness becomes "a custom since early days" for us.
Thank You God, for my day. Thank You that I awoke from my sleep unharmed. Thank You that You will be with me today...throughout my whole day. Thank You for the hard things that I will encounter, as well as the joys that will hit me head on. Thanks for being in control of all of it. I begin this habit today...asking that You remind me of my promise to be thankful. I love You, Jesus. Thank You.
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