Many people resolve to do this or that, change this or that, break a bad habit, or start a new one. Sometimes it works but oftentimes it doesn't. It is because many of us are like the bird in the following story inspired by the writings of David Brandt Berg.

A man once owned an eagle, and for many years kept him chained to a stake. Every day the eagle walked around and around that stake, and over time wore a rut in the ground.

When the eagle was getting old, his master felt sorry for him and decided to set him free. So he took the metal ring off the eagle's foot, lifted the eagle from the ground, and tossed him into the air.

He was free …but he had forgotten how to fly! He flip-flopped to the ground, walked back over to his old rut, and started walking in circles like he had for years. No chain and shackle held him, just the habit!

There is a saying that the chains of bad habits are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken--and that would be true if it weren't with the Divine help . We may think that it’s not possible for us to change, but if we are sincerely willing to, God can change us by the miracle-working-power of His Spirit. He does things we can't do! 

We may have to put a great deal of our own will  to the transformation process as well, but with God's intervention, we'll find that we have more tenacity, determination, and ability to change than we ever thought possible.

 He said, "Whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive" (Matthew 21:22).  Some changes are instantaneous, others take time but we will be changed, because Jesus changes people!

How do we build habits? Believe it or not, they used to build bridges by first flying a kite from one side of the river or gorge to the other. Someone on the opposite side caught the kite and tied a little thicker, stronger string to the end of the kite string, and the men who had sent the kite over pulled the new, thicker string back across.

The teams on each side kept repeating the process, next with an even stronger string, then a cord, then a thin rope, then a thicker rope, and so on.

Eventually they could pull a small steel cable across, then a heavier one, until finally they had a cable across the expanse that was strong enough to support them and their tools and materials. -And it all started with one tiny kite string!

That's how habits are formed, both good and bad. Add a thread every day, and before long we can't break it. Let's start developing a good habit by taking the first step, however small, in the right direction. Then keep at it until  we've built up a routine that can't easily be broken.

Psychologists tell us that it usually takes us three weeks to get familiar with some new task or habit; it takes another three weeks before it becomes a habit.

Now the reason why many people are not successful in forming a new habit is because they never make it past that six-week barrier. For our new behavior to become a habit, we must do it daily for at least six weeks.

So don’t give up too easily or too soon. Keep at it!

By Tim Pedrosa