Day 1, Distancing from Old Patterns

Today I was excited about the challenge, eager to get started. To dig in. To see change. I thought of the Israelites leaving Egypt and their lives as slaves. God commanded them to leave, to go far away. The Israelites celebrated their salvation…until it got hard. In fact, every time things got rough they turned to Moses and said, “Why did you take us out of Egypt just so we can die here?” (See Exodus 14 and 16). They couldn’t trust that God would provide without the false security they felt from their life in Egypt. In Egypt they were abused and enslaved, but it was an evil they were accustomed to and could rely on. However, with just God and a large desert in front of them, they weren’t so sure of themselves anymore. 

That is so many of us who have developed habits that crush our health. These habits form when we look to anything other than God for pleasure and comfort and control. For years, sugar and alcohol were habits I incorporated into my life to take the edge off of stress, fear, and anxiety. It enslaved me. It called and promised, but in the end the momentary relief did nothing for my long term problems. This is what I love about the 42 Day Fallout challenge. We’re leaving our life of slavery and trusting God by leaving those false or temporary pleasures and comforts behind, trusting Him with the health and future He has promised. The farther we move away, the more we find the space to lean on God to bring the peace our lives crave. 

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them. The Lord your God goes with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31: 6-7

Journal Prompt: Why did you have this habit? How can God provide for you what you had hoped to get from that destructive habit?

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