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Words of Wisdom one 17 on heart-based transformation.
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Your wisdom, determines the
quality and potential of your life.
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You'll fall to the depth of your vices
and rise to the heights of your virtues.
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It is your inner life, your spiritual
maturity that is the foundation of
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your outer life, your relationships,
accomplishments, wealth and circumstances.
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James Clear wrote a compelling
book, atomic Habits, which has
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been the bestselling book on Amazon
for two of the last three years.
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In it, he writes you do not
rise to the level of your goals.
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You fall to the level of your systems.
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This is true.
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He goes on to say there are two types
of habits, outcome-based habits where
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people focus on what they want to
achieve and identity-based habits where
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people focus on who they want to become.
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He argues that identity-based
habits are far more powerful.
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Quote.
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The ultimate form of intrinsic
motivation is when a habit
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becomes part of your identity.
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It's one thing to say, I'm the
type of person who wants this.
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It's something very different to say
I'm the type of person who is this.
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James has this insightful mental
model to show the value of what
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he calls identity based habits.
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All three are necessary.
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Identity is based on what you believe
processes are, based on what you do.
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Outcomes are based on what you achieve.
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Go to Wise craft.org to see the
images in this podcast, and I do
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highly recommend Atomic Habits.
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However, as helpful as it
is, there's a danger here.
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I don't think James went far enough in
his book because he does not address
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wisdom or how we live out our moral
and ethical choices and habits, and
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he definitely doesn't touch on the
spiritual realm and discuss our desires
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for God, for his kingdom and the
spiritual war that is raging against it.
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Developing habits of going to
the gym, writing, meditating.
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These are all wonderful and
helpful for your flourishing.
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But if you focus only on behavior change
and ignore your relationship with God
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and how that forms your character,
then you are in dangerous territory.
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You'll not experience the fruit of the
spirit or the abiding presence of God.
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If you run your life on the fuel
of your own identity, you will
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not experience the deep love that
leads to radical transformation.
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If you direct your life solely on what you
want, you will not advance God's kingdom.
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There is nothing worse than
seeking your own selfish agenda.
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Instead of God's.
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Ignoring wisdom Then.
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James Clear missed a critical component.
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I believe at our core of
who we are is our heart.
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Our heart Scripture teaches
is what we want or our will.
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It is our desire that ultimately
defines us and directs who we become.
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So we need to focus on heart-based habits.
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When Jesus taught to pray for God's
kingdom to come, he was teaching
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his disciples to pray that what God
wants would be what His people want.
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God's kingdom is when what
God wants to happen happens.
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So a key aspect to
advancing God's kingdom.
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Is to see your heart change so that you
deeply desire God loving him first and
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above all, enabling you to love yourself
and others as you have been loved.
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This is such a radical thing that
Jesus described it as being born
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again or being born from above.
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As your heart goes, so your life goes,
as your desire is deepened and focused
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on God, your identity will be changed.
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If your heart is changed, if your
desire is purified and you quote,
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put first the kingdom of heaven, then
all the rest can fall into place.
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Your identity becomes aligned with the
spirit that created and empowers all life.
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Your processes can improve and
outcomes can be achieved, but
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if you don't address your heart,
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your growth will remain stunted.
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Scripture goes on to say that
the human heart without God's
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redemption is desperately wicked.
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This isn't popular to say, but it's true.
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Not only is your heart stunted,
but your twisted desires if they're
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not transformed, will sabotage your
efforts and lead to destruction
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if your core spiritual strongholds or
vices aren't transformed, you might
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change or stop a behavior, but your
vices, your twisted desires will still
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be influencing your heart and habits and
you'll never experience deep flourishing.
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Sure, you might stop looking at
pornography, for example, but
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you'll still struggle with intimacy.
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You might grow to where you aren't
compulsively doing a certain behavior,
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but rule by selfishness, fear,
resentment, and distorted thinking.
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You will never experience an
abiding sense of peace and
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unresolved conflict will plague you.
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Your specific wounded behavior patterns,
habits and addictions are important.
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It's necessary to address them
specifically, and they do have unique
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consequences, but more important than
your specific behavior patterns is
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addressing the system and the spiritual
dynamics that influences your behaviors.
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This is no small task.
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The early recovery community wisely
observed that addiction is quote.
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Cunning baffling powerful.
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Without help.
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They say it is too much for us,
but there is one who has all power.
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That one is God.
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May you find him.
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Now.
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This is from the book,
alcoholics Anonymous.
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First comes being then comes doing,
first comes dwelling with God.
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Then comes living out those
desires and doing the loving
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work of the Kingdom of Heaven.
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Quotes.
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You have made us for yourself, oh Lord.
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And our heart is restless
until it rests in you.
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By, augustine of Hippo
in his book Confessions.
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One thing I ask from the Lord this
only do I seek that I may dwell in
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the house of the Lord all the days of
my life to gaze on the beauty of the
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Lord and to seek him in his temple.
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Psalms 27, 4 Questions, what do you seek?
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Are you fundamentally seeking to dwell
in God's presence and pursue his kingdom?
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What are you seeking to grow and change?
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Are you seeking to grow and change fueled
by your own power or relying on God?
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Endnote.
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Seek God today while he may be found.
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Open your heart to whatever
God has for you in this moment,
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there is nothing more important.
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Desiring God and his will for your
life is the best use of your will.
