00:00You know, over the holiday season, I came into contact with somebody who is a recovered
00:08alcoholic, if you can ever actually be recovered from that disease, but it's been years since
00:15they've drank and their life had changed so much, and they said something that has stuck
00:23in my head ever since the conversation. They said, the strongest version of you is buried
00:31under the habits you are afraid to break. Wow. You know, it's 100% true, and it's stuck
00:41in my head ever since it came out of their mouth. They're blessed because they were able
00:47to make a change and realize the benefits of that change while they still had time here
00:56on earth. And it's beautiful to see somebody come out of addiction and move forward into
01:02the beautiful life that God had written for them all along. Because faith tells us something
01:09deeper than motivation ever could. God already sees who you can become, even while you are
01:18still wrestling with who you have been. What you are fighting is not weakness. It's resistance
01:27to change. And hey, nobody resists change more than this guy. Ask my family, ask people who
01:35work for me. That's just the way I am. And resistance usually grows strongest right before transformation
01:43begins. You know, I'm somebody who kind of takes things on quite a bit after everybody else has
01:51accepted them. But once that transformation happens, it's always easier to look back and connect
02:00the dots and see why that change was necessary. You know, most people do not stay stuck because
02:07they're lazy or unspiritual. I know people think that's true, but people stay stuck because habits
02:15feel safer than uncertainty. Habits give structure to fear. They give routine to pain. They give familiarity
02:24to disappointment. Even unhealthy patterns can feel comforting because they are predictable.
02:33You know how they end. You know how much they cost. And in a strange way, knowing the cost feels
02:42safer than risking something new. And scripture reminds us that God is a God of renewal, not recycling.
02:53He does not take the old version of you and simply improve it slightly. He speaks of new creation,
03:03transformed minds, and hearts of flesh replacing hearts of stone. Now, that language is 100% intentional
03:15because God is not interested in surface level adjustments. He is after deep internal
03:23change. And that kind of change. And that kind of change almost always requires letting go of habits
03:30that once felt like survival tools. You know, some habits were formed in moments when you were hurting,
03:40overwhelmed, or afraid. They helped you cope when you did not yet have the tools, wisdom, or support
03:50that you have now. God does not shame you for that. He understands seasons. But there comes a time when what once
04:01protected you becomes what holds you back. Faith is recognizing when a season is changed and trusting God enough
04:12to move forward instead of clinging backward. You know, one of the greatest lies people believe is that obedience
04:22will cost them happiness. The Bible never promises comfort, but it consistently promises peace.
04:31Comfort keeps you where you are. Peace carries you through growth. Many habits survive because they numb
04:42discomfort rather than heal it. They distract instead of restore. They dull conviction instead of developing
04:52character. And God does not remove habits just to leave you empty. He replaces them with gifts,
05:02clarity, strength, and purpose. And when scripture calls believers to put off the old self, it's not speaking
05:14metaphorically. It is calling for intentional separation from patterns that no longer align with who God is.
05:22God says you are. And our God says you are special. He's put beautiful gifts within you that
05:32the world will never see, as long as you cling to the habits and behaviors that are preventing them
05:40from being fully exalted. And that includes habits of thought, speech, consumption, avoidance,
05:47and self-sabotage. Transformation is holistic. God does not just want your Sunday behavior. He wants your private
05:59patterns, your quiet decisions, your default reactions. You see, fear often disguises itself as wisdom. You tell
06:13yourself you're being realistic, cautious, or practical. When in truth, you are protecting habits that keep you
06:22small. Faith disrupts that narrative. Faith says obedience may feel risky, but obedience, well, it keeps you from
06:35draining your future. Every habit you refuse to challenge slowly shapes the direction of your life. You
06:45do not drift toward holiness, purpose, or strength. You drift toward ease. Growth requires intention. You see, God's
06:57conviction is never conviction is never cruel. It's precise. It does not accuse vaguely. It points clearly. And when God
07:08brings a habit to your attention, it is because he knows you are ready for the next level of growth. Conviction is
07:17evidence of trust. It means God believes you can handle the work of change with his help. Condemnation says
07:27you'll never change. Conviction says you were made for more than this. You were made for more than this.
07:41And you were. You see, breaking habits often feels lonely because growth separates you from familiar
07:50versions of yourself. And sometimes, familiar relationships. But let me remind you that sometimes
08:00when we lose people in our lives, it's not always a loss. Not everyone will understand why you are changing.
08:11They don't have to. You know, some will be uncomfortable because your growth exposes their stagnation. And Jesus
08:21himself experienced this. Obedience often isolates before it multiplies. But I can assure you that God never removes
08:33something without providing what you need to move forward. The strongest version of you is not impulsive.
08:45It is disciplined. Discipline is not punishment. It is alignment. It is choosing what you want most
08:53over what you want now. Scripture describes discipline as something that yields fruit over time.
09:03And that means you may not immediately feel rewarded for obedience. But unseen roots are forming.
09:13Strength is being built. Faithfulness grows quietly before it becomes visible. And prayer, well,
09:25pray. Pray. Pray for change. But prayer becomes different in seasons of habit breaking. You are no longer asking God to bless what you are doing. You are asking him to reshape who you are becoming. That kind of prayer requires honesty. You stop pretending habits are harmless. You stop justifying patterns God has already addressed.
09:54You start surrendering daily. You start surrendering daily. Not dramatically. Growth happens in repeated obedience. Not emotional moments.
10:08The enemy thrives on delay. How many times have you told yourself,
10:17I'll quit tomorrow. But tomorrow is one of the most powerful spiritual distractions. Scripture consistently emphasizes today.
10:30So, today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart. Habits grow stronger the longer they go, unchallenged. Delay reinforces them. Obedience weakens them.
10:51You do not need to see the whole path. You do not need to see the whole path. You only need to take the next faithful step. And the strongest version of you understands grace correctly.
11:07You see, grace is not God overlooking your habits. Grace is God empowering you to overcome them.
11:15Grace teaches, trains, and transforms. Grace teaches, trains, and transforms. It does not excuse stagnation. It fuels perseverance.
11:25When you stumble, grace lifts you. Not so you can stay where you fell, but so you can keep moving forward and get up.
11:37Eventually, something will shift. What once felt impossible becomes manageable. What once controlled you begins to lose its grip.
11:50You realize that strength was never something you had to create. It was something God was developing beneath the surface all along.
12:01You see, habits do not bury your potential permanently. They simply delay its expression.
12:10So, if alcohol is the problem, drugs are the problem, whatever the problem is, there are still gifts within you.
12:20Once you remove the habit, you will express those gifts. And the success you'll have in life will be beautifully amazing and beyond anything you ever thought possible.
12:36Because the strongest version of you is revealed when fear no longer gets the final word.
12:43When obedience becomes more important than comfort.
12:47When faith, well, when faith outweighs familiarity.
12:54God is not waiting for you to become perfect before he works.
12:59He is waiting for you to become willing.
13:03Now, I want you to think about that.
13:06God is not waiting for you to become perfect before he works.
13:13He's waiting for you to become willing.
13:18And you, my friend, were never meant to stay hidden under patterns that limit your calling.
13:25You were given specific gifts that were made specifically for you to exhibit to people in the world.
13:35You were going to change something for somebody.
13:39You just need to be able to access the specialness that God has put within you.
13:46You were meant to grow, mature, and rise into a life marked by purpose, clarity, and spiritual strength.
13:55The moment you begin breaking habits with faith instead of fear, you begin uncovering the person God has been patiently shaping beneath the surface all along.
14:11And that version of you is not fragile.
14:14It's grounded, it's disciplined, it's disciplined, and it is free.
14:23Truth.
14:24God bless you, my friends.
14:30Bye-bye.
Comments