“You have to turn your habits inside out and upside down. You have to reverse engineer them. Sometimes the solution is as simple as changing the sequence. Other times it requires interrupting the pattern by changing tactics altogether.”- Mark Batterson
“For the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hand.”- 1 Samuel 17:47 (ESV)
Mark Batterson concludes Day 21 of Do It for a Day with the account of David versus Goliath. Pastor Batterson describes the story as the quintessential mismatch. A classic underdog account. But, Mark asserts, David’s perceived disadvantage — his size and inexperience — turned out to be his greatest advantage.
So concluded a study conducted by Eitan Hirsch, a ballistics expert with the Israeli Defense Forces. Hirsch determined that an average stone hurled by an expert slinger could travel the length of a football field in three seconds. Therefore, that stone possesses the same stopping power as a 45-caliber handgun. Thus, Goliath = the sitting duck.
Consequently, Mark stresses, David’s victory was inevitable. Not impossible. Hence, at some point, enough is enough. And that’s precisely when you need to pick up a few stones from the brook Elah. Then put them in your pouch.
Pastor Batterson explains:
“Israel had been held captive by Goliath’s taunting long enough. The same goes for the bad habits that taunt us. If you measure them against your ability, you come out on the short end of the stick. If you measure them against God, it’s no contest. To the Infinite, all finites are equal. There is no big or small, easy or difficult, possible or impossible.”
In conclusion, Mark exhorts, make someone’s day. Because it’s the best way to win the day. A single smile interrupts the pattern. And the atmosphere shifts with a single compliment. To solve problems you need to break the rules, change the game. You rarely solve your biggest problems with less or more of the same.
Today’s question: What must you do to reverse engineer your habits? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Go third person – life as a laboratory”
