Adventist Christians must see that bad habits have ultimately been a spiritual problem since postmodern times. We consider bad habits to be “sins” that often tempt us. The fact is that we are used to doing things that are wrong causing us to forget our responsibilities. On the contrary, it can make sin even worse.
Questions that arise in our heads: "But I have already committed many sins ... what should I do?" The answer is if we have done wrong or have bad habits, then we have to confess our sins and then "God is faithful and just" will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all evil "(1 John 1: 9).
Bad habits in daily life, bad habits of Christians, also occur in our lives which are often and deliberately done by us as Christians as follows:
Cursing the Sins of Others
Often we are more observant of the mistakes of others than our own sins, thinking that their sins are bigger than ours. There are no minor or major sins, but they are hereditary sins according to Christianity (Matthew 7: 3). Each of us has flaws. Therefore, we should not think that the mistakes of others are bigger than ours. We must encourage our neighbors to follow Jesus more closely without knocking each other out.
Not Sincere
This is often expressed in terms of service. There are many youths and characteristics of Christian families who are passionate about serving God's work, but with the wrong motivation, such as just wanting to be seen, just wanting to be praised or famous. Moreover, when worship is ongoing, many young people often play mobile (Isaiah 3:16), fall asleep (Acts 20: 9. Proverbs 6: 4,10; 20:13), do not carry the meaning of the Bible (Deuteronomy 6: 5-9) and chat or gossip (2 Corinthians 12:20). We must do all things that are good in God's eyes with a sincere heart. We also want to devote our time, thoughts, and energy sincerely to God. Because in God, our efforts will never be in vain.
Often Leaving Worship
This habit is often done by Christians for various reasons such as many activities at school, or even laziness to go to church (2 Timothy 3: 5), or coming home early (Hebrews 6:12). We need to remember again, Jesus served first, and this is our turn to serve Him faithfully. By worshiping faithfully, it shows that we appreciate what Jesus has given us. He wants us to achieve the real goal of worship: to glorify God.
Do not want to be friends with non-Christians
How do unbelievers come to believe if we don't want to be friends with them? It is not wrong to have many non-Christian friends. We must be diligent in hanging out with fellow people who practice bad Christian habits. We also become witnesses of Christ by witnessing God's goodness and love so that we can embrace new souls. We also continue to update our knowledge of the Bible and share it with unbelievers.
Feeling to be the Most True Christian
Many young people overly believe and / or pretend to think we are "spiritual babies". It is wrong to think of yourself as most spiritual (Colossians 2:18; Matthew 6: 5). We must build relationships with other people. If indeed any of our brothers are new to Jesus, we should not think of him as a "spiritual baby", but we should be the mentors of our brothers in following Jesus and together through faith.
Breaking the Unity
In the last few months, many religious issues, especially religion, have emerged in the challenges of the church today. Jesus has warned us that in the last days, we as disciples of Christ will be hated, tortured, and even killed if we want to quarrel with enemies and also cause riots in the church (Acts 24:12). Instead of defending ourselves and continuing divisions, we must form Christian communities whose aim is to unite and strengthen each other.
Dress inappropriately
Many Christian youths do not reflect the character of Christ by dress. For example, clothes that are too tight, too minimal and transparent are very rude to wear when we go to church. (Revelation 16:15; 2 Corinthians 5: 3; 1 Timothy 2: 9). We must maintain our manners in clothing, especially if it is during worship where we have a Christian life goal to approach the throne of God.
Dating with Different Religions
This tends to be a common misconception among Christian youth. Just because you are dating someone of a different faith can lead to a very stressful dating process in the relationship (2 Corinthians 6: 14-16). If we are adults and understand how dating according to the Bible, then we have to think about and look for a life partner who is of the same faith. Then, we have to learn about the process of getting to know each other through dating our life partners, going about it in a relaxed manner and not needing to rush. Because it is not certain that your date will be your life partner. This is an important point in confirming the promise of Christian marriage. The contents of this promise are able to prevent divorce, polygamy, adultery between spouses.
Those are some bad habits that we have to get rid of from our life. Sinful habits are not easy things for the bad habits of Christians. However, the Holy Spirit lives within us and works to conform us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:31). When we fall, all we have to do is quickly get up and get closer to Him, confess and stay away from sin, and give ourselves to be renewed by Him (Romans 12: 1-2; Galatians 5:16). In addition, there are God's promises for believers (1 Corinthians 10:13) that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond our capacity.
Let's together learn to improve ourselves by "kicking" bad habits that we do so that every goal in our life that has been prepared by God can be achieved. So that everyone who sees us also sees the character of Christ in our lives (James 1:12).