Are you often exasperated by your seeming inability to change certain behaviours or thoughts or habits? I know I have and I can tell you that it is every bit frustrating. Even after praying and fasting, the issue still persists,
Have you ever consider that there may be something that is reinforcing this unwanted behaviour or attitude/thoughts in your life?
I am learning about the power of influence and that we are mostly influenced by the things we are exposed to or we are exposing our self to.
In the Bible, we are told of how God had warned Adam and Eve of not eating from the tree of good and evil, that if they do so they will die. Prior to that, they only knew what was obtainable in Eden. By eating the fruit, the Bible said that their eyes became open and they saw they were naked, used leaves to cover themselves, hid from God etc. This led to the beginning of shame, fear and exit from a place of paradise
The illustration above shows the impact of exposure to certain things and how it affects our thoughts and behaviors.
You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.
John C. Maxwell
We can agree that it is easier for us to reject or ignore certain things if we have not been exposed to them before. For example, if you have not tasted or even drank alcohol before, it’s easier to say no to it and hence no need to even come to the state where we are addicted to it.
Many of us are struggling with certain things based on what we have unwittingly exposed ourselves to. It could be in the environment we find ourselves in, the kind of company we keep, the kind of conversations we indulge in, the kind of programmes/movies we watch, the kind of books we read or follow in social media etc.
By continual exposure to these influencers we are continually reinforcing the strength of the consequent behaviours/habits and their control over us and it becomes more difficult for us to overcome.
I have learned that for us to overcome, it will also require us to intentionally take a decision to stop feeding our senses with these negative influencers.
Also, become intentional about taking actions to only expose ourselves to identified positive influences. This will help feed our minds with chosen positive thoughts and overtime, we start seeing the change we want.
Of course, this is not an easy process and that is where self-control becomes vital.
As long we have gotten ourselves long exposed to something, we will struggle with overcome its effect, It is important we utilize every form of self-control even if it entails fleeing like Joseph did from Potiphar’s wife!
These are actions that I take that positively help me overcome:
- Consistent study of the bible and making it a habit,
- Consistent listening to inspirational audio messages when I am exercising, taking a shower etc.
- Equipping my library with relevant books and ensuring I am reading them as much as I can
- Surrounding myself with Like-minded people and attending relevant empowering events like Church and professional seminars
As long as we aspire to be better than we are now, we need to understand the power of influence and utilize it to our great benefit.
Over time, we will see the impact of any deliberate action that we are taking. Remember that the Bible also advised in Colossians 3:1-2 that if we desire or is serious about this new life, we should act it and pursue those things over which Christ presides.
I see you!
