Grab Your Fly Swatter!
Julia Bettencourt

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"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever
ye do, do all to the glory of God."   I Corinthians 10:31


Have you ever considered the fly? It's such a small little thing and yet it can be so annoying and can really get in your way just like a bad habit. Think about how a fly buzzes around. Have you ever sat and tried to relax and read a book and there was a fly in the house? Of all the places to fly around, where does it go? That's right! Right on you, landing repeatedly on your hand.

You continually swat at it. Then it moves on to your leg. You swat at it several times. It goes away for a few minutes and then before you know it back it comes! This time it lands on your ear. You swat at it again. It buzzes around the room some more checking out the curtains and windows and you start to really get into your book and then buzz buzz it's right in your face this time.

That fly keeps pestering you over and over and you keep swatting at it with your hand but it continually comes back to land on your skin! That fly will never go away by you swinging at it. You have to finally go get the fly swatter! You have to have the right tool to take care of it and you have to actively pursue it to rid yourself of it. Swat! Finally it's taken care of.

It is the same way with a bad unspiritual habit that comes buzzing around in our lives. We know it's there and it keeps landing on us but somehow we find ourselves just swatting at it and never really taking care of the problem. The only way to get rid of our bad habits is to get up and get the fly swatter or the right tool. Our best tool against bad habits is the Word of God. It is the best swatter for bad habits that you will ever find.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"   2 Timothy 3:16
God's Word is much better than a fly swatter. It acts like a heat seeking missile. KABOOM!

Take a minute to reflect on the fly that landed on you. Think about all the places that fly has been before it landed on your skin. Perhaps it was on that dead possum you passed along the road, in the smelly garbage can you opened this morning, buzzing on the backs of the pigs and cows that you passed in the fields along the road. It's not pleasant to think about, but what do you end up with when there are flies around? You guessed it--maggots! What does sin breed? Unspiritual habits! The unspiritual bad habits we display in our lives are rooted in sin and sin has a way of smelling up our lives. I Cor. 10:31. says "whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God." If we are going to live this way we can't have bad habits hanging around buzzing to and fro. We have to take a good look at our lives, grab the right tool and actively pursue those things that keep us from honoring God.

1. Getting Started.
   One of the best places to get started with our trustworthy swatter, God's Word, is by reading Colossians 3:1- 17. If you want to improve your habits start by seeking something better for yourself.
   
   "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those thingswhich
   are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of
   God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on
   the earth."   Colossians 3:1,2



2. Things to Swat.
   You know exactly what bad habits you need to swat in your individual life, but Colossians 3 gives us some things to start with that can develop unspiritual habits. Verse 5 says to "mortify" our members concerning several things. In other words make these things dead in all parts of our body.
   
   fornication uncleanness
   inordinate affection
   evil concupiscence
   covetousness (idolatry)



3. More Things to Swat.
   As we go on in Colossians 3 to verses 8 and 9, we see more things that we are told to put off or that we can swat. These all can lead to unspiritual bad habits in our lives.
   
   anger
   wrath
   malice
   blasphemy
   filthy communication
   lies



4. Replace Bad Habits With Good Ones.
   After we have asked for God's forgiveness for the bad habits which are rooted in sin, we need to commit not to get bogged down with them again.
   
   "...seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have
   put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image
   of him that created him."   Colossians 3:9,10
   
   God helps us by giving us some things to replace the old things with in verses 12-16 of the same chapter of Colossians.
   
   bowls of mercies
   kindness
   humbleness of mind
   meekness
   longsuffering
   forbearing one another
   charity
   peace of God
   thankfulness
   Word of God
   teaching and admonishing one another
   in psalms and spiritual songs singing to the Lord



5. Keep Habits Under Control.
   If we are going to keep our habits under control we are going to have to do as I Corinthians 10:31 says, "...do all to the glory of God."
   
   "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name
   of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks
   to God and the Father by him."  Colossians 3:17

We need to think about everything we do, say, and think and determine whether it is for God's glory.

So, are there things you need to swat?

Copyright ©2001-2008 Julia Bettencourt
Scripture References are from the King James Version.
www.juliabettencourt.com

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