Breaking Unhealthy Habits: A Christian Counselor’s Thoughts

I used to bite my fingernails down to the quick. In a nervous moment, I would rip off those babies as soon as they began to grow. For years I was embarrassed at how my hands looked and very conscientious about how I displayed them, working hard at keeping them from everyone’s glances. In addition, this also caused physical limitations. If I ever dropped a dime, tried to pick up a toothpick, remove a splinter, or put in a tiny screw, I was reminded of my habit. My mom was constantly vigilant and sought to pull my hand away from my mouth, or to remind me irrespective of who was in earshot. But nothing worked. I would continue to bite them off, sometimes until they bled. I so wanted to stop that I would stay awake at night, feeling frustrated but still unable to stop. In spite of the pain and the pressure, that habit, like all habits, had me in its grip.

Habits Can Master You

Horace Mann, an American educator, once described a habit by saying: “Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it every day, and at last we cannot break it.” It took me years and I was well into my adult life before I could say that I no longer had the habit of chewing my fingernails. God gently pointed out to me that this was an area of my life deeper than eight fingers and a couple thumbs. I was enslaved – I had been mastered or manipulated by the beast of habit. I was living in contradiction to the liberating truth of 1 Corinthians 6:12 that states: “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” The Greek word “mastered” means to be held under the authority of something.” This verse describes something that is not  necessarily wicked, but something that, while “lawful,” is not “profitable.” This verse helped me to begin to get my habit under control.

The ramifications of my nail biting testimony have far-reaching effects. Nobody reading this article is completely free from the effects of bad habits, whether lawful or unlawful. I suppose that is the price we pay for being human. Some are wrestling with a habit as accepted and common as overeating, procrastinating, cheating, or exaggerating. Others’ habits are viewed negatively and with suspicion, and result in habitually closed-minded responses. Some readers will feel trapped by alcohol consumption, or be addicted to drugs, porn, cigarettes, or maybe even caffeine. Habits such as gossip, worry, and profanity are practiced without guilt and are justified by our own personal gymnastics.

Taking Control of Our Habits

The list is endless, but rather than enlarging the list, let’s us rather focus on five suggestions that will help blend 1 Corinthians 6:12 into our lives.

• Stop rationalizing your habits. Refuse to make comments like, “Oh that’s just the way I am – always have been, always will be.” Or, “After all, nobody’s perfect.” Such excuses take the edge off disobedience and encourage you to diminish or ignore your need.

• Apply strategy to regain control. Approach your habit specifically and intentionally. Take on each habit one at a time, rather than all of them at once.

• Be realistic. It probably won’t happen fast and it won’t be easy. Nor will your resolve be permanent overnight. However disappointing periodic failures may be, they are still better than habitual slavery.

• Be encouraged. Realize that you are on a journey to your goal of being free for the first time in years. Enthusiasm strengthens self-discipline and prompts an attitude of follow through.

• Start today. Today is the best time in your life to stop and conquer your habit. To put it off is an admission of defeat and will only intensify and prolong the self-confidence battle.

Christian Counseling to Overcome Unhealthy Habits

Extracting the hurtful thorns that a habit brings enables you to focus less attention on yourself and more attention on life’s priorities. As a Christian counselor, I am ready to help you walk through this process as you seek to find the motivation and resolve to walk away from those things that are controlling you. If you have taken the time to read this article, then go a step further and make a commitment to change. To find out more about how Christian counseling can help you overcome unhealthy habits, please contact us here.