“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” -Matthew 11:29-30

Often times, we choose what is wrong the first time, but then the second, third and fourth time. Soon, we’ve developed a habit and we aren’t actually choosing much anymore. Habits aren’t located in one single decision, but in all of the little decisions you make every single day. If you want to make new decisions, you need to form new habits. We all have our habits: something within our minds aside from what we learn or study. Even when we’re unconscious, when we’re sleepwalking — we engage in these habits. If you do things enough times, they become easy. Just like sin. You can’t extinguish a bad habit, but you can change it for a different habit. If you want to change the habits in your life — both the good and bad ones — you must create new habits. This is why Jesus talks about walking in the easy yoke. It’s hard to do what Jesus teaches us to do unless you make what Jesus says into habits. Don’t conform to the pattern of this world, but turn to Jesus and be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Make living like a Jesus a new habit in your life.

PRAYER: Thank you, Lord, for your easy yoke. Please help me turn my bad habits into good ones — like living like you.

REFLECTION: What are your bad habits?