Philippians 4:5, says that
our moderation should be known
00:00:01.98\00:00:06.46
of all men.
00:00:06.49\00:00:07.71
This is a great part of the
establishment of good life style
00:00:07.74\00:00:13.54
I'm Agatha Thrash
from Uchee Pines Institute,
00:00:13.57\00:00:16.88
and at Uchee Pines, we deal
quite a lot with life styles
00:00:16.91\00:00:20.77
and with moderation
and with habit formation.
00:00:20.80\00:00:23.50
For the next half an hour,
we'll be talking with you about
00:00:23.53\00:00:26.14
moderation and habits
and how to establish them...
00:00:26.17\00:00:29.31
how to break them once
they've been established.
00:00:29.34\00:00:31.88
Join us, won't you?
00:00:31.91\00:00:33.83
Welcome to "Help Yourself to
Health" with Dr. Agatha Thrash
00:00:53.23\00:00:58.99
of Uchee Pines Institute,
and now here is your host
00:00:59.02\00:01:00.88
Dr. Thrash.
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As God created us, we had
no difficulty in being moderate
00:01:04.61\00:01:10.28
in all of our habits.
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Actually, where Philippians 4:5
speaks of moderation, it also
00:01:11.48\00:01:17.84
speaks of it in the context
of the Lord is at hand...
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And so, we can believe by that,
that what is going to happen to
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world right close to the
second coming of the Lord may be
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characterized a lot
by immoderate behavior.
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And so, we thought that a
program on moderation would be
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well-received and
would be very beneficial.
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And so, John Champen
is here with me today.
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He is one of my
co-workers at Uchee Pines.
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He is in administration and
also does health education and
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he will start us out by talking
about some things having to do
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with moderation... John Champen
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Thank you, Dr. Thrash.
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Moderation, few people
think about moderation.
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It's not something that
comes to most people's minds.
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They live a life that is
responding to stimulus, their
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habits, their desires...
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And they go on like that and
they're not aware that there is
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any such thing that they need
to comply with that would be
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beneficial to them.
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There is a law out there called
"the law of diminishing returns"
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Many feel that if one piece
of pie is good, then 2 pieces
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might be twice as good
and 4 is 4 times as good.
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But we know that as we increase
our eating of something sweet or
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whatever the thing might
be, our satisfaction tends to
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go down instead of going up
as we suspect that it would.
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But the problem is that because
of this habit that many have
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formed, they are
no longer moderate...
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Everything is done in
great amounts and in excess.
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The law of diminishing returns
strikes home and then people
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begin to become aware
that something else needs to
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take place... sickness comes in
and problems in their families
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and they don't
know why that is so.
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There is not moderation in
drinking and in eating and in
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looking and in time spent
with others in social activity.
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Eating and drinking... we know
when that's in excess it leads
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to obesity, it
leads to drunkenness...
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It leads to all
kinds of problems.
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And yet, it continues to go on.
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Most people are in some
way intemperate in this area.
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Even in looking, we should look
at those things which are good
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and if you do watch television,
then why not look at 3ABN?
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That's a nice way to
practice moderation there.
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And working... the Scripture
tells us that it is 12 hours a
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day when man should be working.
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Some people will put
in 14, 18 hours a day.
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And, of course, their body
tells as a result of that...
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excess, excess, excess.
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You can't accomplish it all.
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There's always more to be done.
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So, moderation is needed there
but many are not sure how to
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get a hold on that
or how to make a change.
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Some feel that if I
just had more leisure...
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If I had some
more time to myself...
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I would do well, I'd feel better
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I'd like to take a long vacation
how about 6 months where I can
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just lay on the beach, take
it easy and just watch the waves
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go by... and this
will make me feel better.
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Well, after a day or two
of that, a certain amount of
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restlessness comes in.
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We recognize that
moderation even in resting
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is very important.
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Another area is talking...
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Yes, people talk too much.
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They need to spend a
little more time in listening.
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Sometimes, we talk so much that
the Lord can't even get to us.
00:05:02.49\00:05:08.29
He can't get our attention.
00:05:08.32\00:05:10.51
So we need to
watch how much we talk...
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and spend a little
more time in listening.
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And, of course, there are others
who are not happy unless they
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are in the society of others.
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They have to be in a
crowd continuously...
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and, as such,
they become immoderate.
00:05:24.13\00:05:28.07
Social interaction is very
important but, as we are told in
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Scripture, there is a
time and place for everything.
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There is also a time needed
for reflection for searching
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one's heart, for
coming up higher.
00:05:41.65\00:05:44.30
Moderation is needed
in all of these things.
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Few people are aware that they
need to spend time in getting
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their lives together so that
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moderation has
its rightful place.
00:05:53.08\00:05:54.05
Let's turn to the
screen now and take a look at
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a couple of points here.
00:05:58.17\00:05:59.92
We are told that all health
principles depend on moderation.
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The maximum benefit
of each health principle
00:06:04.28\00:06:05.25
requires moderation.
00:06:05.28\00:06:06.25
Water is good but
you can drown from water.
00:06:10.79\00:06:11.79
A young lady, just the other
day, took some ecstasy and got
00:06:11.82\00:06:18.90
very thirsty, and of course, it
makes you thirsty and she drank
00:06:18.93\00:06:21.47
water, drank water and
drank water and she became water
00:06:21.50\00:06:24.58
intoxicated and
she lost her life.
00:06:24.61\00:06:26.35
Even something good that
God has provided for us can be
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taken to excess.
00:06:30.14\00:06:31.11
So, moderation is needed
for every health principle.
00:06:31.12\00:06:34.36
And once it is established,
it then is under the control
00:06:34.39\00:06:37.72
of our conscience.
00:06:37.75\00:06:38.72
Moderation is something
that the Lord wants us to build
00:06:38.73\00:06:42.43
into our lifestyle.
00:06:42.46\00:06:43.80
It becomes a part of us and
once it becomes a part of us,
00:06:43.83\00:06:47.05
then the conscience becomes
tender to the voice of the Lord
00:06:47.08\00:06:50.67
speaking to us, and tapping
us on the shoulder, as it were,
00:06:50.70\00:06:53.86
as if... well, you don't need
that extra piece, that extra
00:06:53.89\00:06:57.00
glass, that extra
plate, this is enough.
00:06:57.03\00:07:00.32
And we learn to respond to
that as we make it a principle
00:07:00.35\00:07:03.93
a part of our lives.
00:07:03.96\00:07:05.16
We are told also that
moderation means victory
00:07:05.19\00:07:09.98
over inclination.
00:07:10.01\00:07:11.38
We need to be
victorious over our feelings.
00:07:11.41\00:07:15.09
This is an area
that we struggle with...
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but moderation will help us.
00:07:18.57\00:07:20.40
As we learn the principles
of moderation and why we want to
00:07:20.43\00:07:24.30
be moderate so that we can
please the Lord and to live a
00:07:24.33\00:07:27.70
healthful life so that we can
serve Him according to his will
00:07:27.73\00:07:30.48
And then, that victory is ours.
00:07:30.51\00:07:33.10
And it can remain ours
day, after day, after day...
00:07:33.13\00:07:36.74
problem, after
problem, after problem.
00:07:36.77\00:07:39.16
And finally, moderation
is a heavenly principle.
00:07:39.19\00:07:44.28
It comes from the Lord.
00:07:44.31\00:07:45.74
Let all things be
done in moderation.
00:07:45.77\00:07:49.02
This is God's way for
us and I'm glad that it is.
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Aren't you Dr. Thrash?
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Yes I am, you
know it protects us.
00:07:53.21\00:07:54.18
Moderation protects
us from so many things.
00:07:55.12\00:07:57.31
So many diseases like diabetes,
and obesity and hypertension.
00:07:57.34\00:08:02.78
We are protected from
emotional and mental problems
00:08:02.81\00:08:07.85
and physical illness.
00:08:07.88\00:08:09.40
In the beginning, it
was not as it is now.
00:08:09.43\00:08:12.53
Now, we see people overdoing
on everything that we can
00:08:12.56\00:08:17.53
possibly do.
00:08:17.56\00:08:18.53
If we are going to
reprove somebody, we overdo it
00:08:18.54\00:08:21.12
and parents will overdo
their reproof to the point
00:08:21.15\00:08:24.00
of child abuse.
00:08:24.03\00:08:25.02
And, also we know that
people who are working...
00:08:25.05\00:08:29.55
they overwork to the
point that every muscle aches.
00:08:29.58\00:08:32.40
Women will be cleaning
their houses and they will just
00:08:32.43\00:08:35.22
keep on working, and
working, and working until
00:08:35.25\00:08:37.79
they are ready to drop
and every muscle aches.
00:08:37.82\00:08:41.80
So we need to recognize that
God did not create this world
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in that way.
00:08:45.70\00:08:46.67
He does not intend that we
should have that kind of problem
00:08:46.68\00:08:49.96
Even the grasses and
the shrubs did not overgrow
00:08:49.99\00:08:54.74
in the Garden of Eden.
00:08:54.77\00:08:55.98
The Lord had set the trees
with clear grass under them.
00:08:56.01\00:09:00.06
And the trees actually had
an enzyme that would inhibit
00:09:00.09\00:09:05.58
the growth of
things close up to them.
00:09:05.61\00:09:08.42
That was the moderation
the God built into this earth.
00:09:08.45\00:09:12.31
Even in the natural world
and our experiment with sin has
00:09:12.34\00:09:16.36
caused even the natural
world to overflow its bounds...
00:09:16.39\00:09:20.36
so that now we have a bramble
patch and we have a thicket
00:09:20.39\00:09:26.75
instead of a nice forest
but God wants us to be moderate
00:09:26.78\00:09:29.93
in all things.
00:09:29.96\00:09:31.44
And with me now is Don Miller
and Don Miller is going to talk
00:09:32.20\00:09:35.52
with you about some
things having to do with habits
00:09:35.55\00:09:37.93
and moderation.
00:09:37.96\00:09:39.07
Don Miller.
00:09:39.10\00:09:40.07
You know, we all have habits
and we need to look at how
00:09:40.08\00:09:43.35
our habits form.
00:09:43.38\00:09:44.52
Just what makes them a
habit in the first place.
00:09:44.55\00:09:46.54
I'm not going to go into
the neurology and pathways and
00:09:46.57\00:09:50.58
neurons and all
these things in the brain.
00:09:50.61\00:09:52.69
But what do we do... what
is it in our stimulus, in our
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surroundings that make
things become habitual.
00:09:56.13\00:09:59.24
Why do we learn to do things?
00:09:59.27\00:10:00.24
Now we have to, at the very
beginning of this thing, realize
00:10:00.27\00:10:03.50
that there are good
habits and there are bad habits.
00:10:03.53\00:10:06.70
There are things that we want to
learn, or other people want us
00:10:06.73\00:10:09.50
to learn... like
correct behavior.
00:10:09.53\00:10:11.80
I remember years ago...
00:10:11.83\00:10:12.93
now I want go just give parents,
if there are any parents out
00:10:12.96\00:10:15.85
there with young children...
00:10:15.88\00:10:16.99
The best way to
form, for me, a good habit.
00:10:17.02\00:10:21.38
We were at another family's home
00:10:21.41\00:10:26.29
My family was at another
family's home and my father
00:10:26.32\00:10:30.17
did something in that
environment that he was
00:10:30.20\00:10:33.51
accustomed to doing but
that my mother considered
00:10:33.54\00:10:37.78
antisocial-type of behavior.
00:10:37.81\00:10:39.50
And I remember
her saying to me...
00:10:39.53\00:10:41.36
"Donny, never do
that in public. "
00:10:41.39\00:10:45.33
And you know
something, I never have.
00:10:45.36\00:10:48.03
That one word from my mother
spoken solemnly and spoken
00:10:48.06\00:10:52.22
directly to me, made an
impact that has never gone away.
00:10:52.25\00:10:55.52
But I want us to look at some
of the factors in the building
00:10:55.55\00:10:59.42
of habits in our experiences.
00:10:59.45\00:11:02.78
One of the first ones...
and what we are going to do is
00:11:02.81\00:11:05.94
we are going to build
the word "habit" here.
00:11:05.97\00:11:08.04
The "H" word... that is how
often do we get the stimulus
00:11:08.07\00:11:17.18
that causes the thing to happen
to us, or to build up the habit.
00:11:17.21\00:11:21.73
I remember as a child, one
of my favorite radio programs in
00:11:21.76\00:11:25.28
Cincinnati had a
commercial for an airline called
00:11:25.31\00:11:28.34
"Northwest Orient Airlines. "
00:11:28.37\00:11:30.40
And the jingle went "Northwest
Orient.. BONG.. Airlines"
00:11:30.43\00:11:36.10
And that very jingle, hearing it
every morning by "Stan Matlock"
00:11:36.13\00:11:40.88
on the radio, put something
in my mind that I grew up loving
00:11:40.91\00:11:45.27
the thought of
going to the Orient.
00:11:45.30\00:11:46.87
I love the Orient today.
00:11:46.90\00:11:48.47
I've lived there.
00:11:48.50\00:11:49.47
I love Oriental food.
00:11:49.48\00:11:50.78
And I believe it was all because
of that one little jingle.
00:11:50.81\00:11:53.91
Jingles and
advertizing slogans...
00:11:53.94\00:11:56.59
You see advertisers
understand this principle.
00:11:56.62\00:12:00.55
How often this frequency of
a stimulus with the reward of
00:12:00.58\00:12:05.73
a good feeling... pretty soon
these things become household
00:12:05.76\00:12:08.86
words and we become habituated
to whatever the thing is.
00:12:08.89\00:12:13.42
All right, the second
thing that is going to cause us
00:12:13.45\00:12:19.37
to form habits... we are going
to have to put a big "A" here...
00:12:19.40\00:12:20.37
is the amount of reward.
00:12:23.12\00:12:25.95
How much reward do we get
for what we're putting into
00:12:25.98\00:12:29.52
our efforts.
00:12:29.55\00:12:30.52
I remember in boot camp,
the military, they make you do
00:12:30.53\00:12:34.64
certain things and normally
it was negative response or
00:12:34.67\00:12:37.69
negative rewards... if you don't
do it, we're going to do this
00:12:37.72\00:12:40.10
to you but sometimes, if
you do this, you're going to get
00:12:40.13\00:12:43.70
this nice thing.
00:12:43.73\00:12:44.94
And the more the reward
was, the amount of the reward,
00:12:44.97\00:12:49.34
the more likely we are to
say "yes that's what I want from
00:12:49.37\00:12:53.07
my experience. "
00:12:53.10\00:12:54.32
But now we have to be very,
very careful in recognizing...
00:12:54.35\00:12:57.85
Do we recognize the
response as a reward?
00:12:57.88\00:13:02.66
We may have a child in our home
00:13:02.69\00:13:05.14
and the child... they
do a behavior, and we think
00:13:05.17\00:13:08.52
to reward them, we are
going to do this thing...
00:13:08.55\00:13:12.09
but to them, that's not a
reward that's a punishment.
00:13:12.12\00:13:15.05
We have to make sure the
recipient recognizes the reward
00:13:15.08\00:13:19.61
as truly that... a reward.
00:13:19.64\00:13:21.87
The third one, I have sort
of characterized or named the
00:13:21.90\00:13:26.90
"bother factor. "
00:13:26.93\00:13:30.62
And this is a pretty important
one, the "bother factor. "
00:13:30.65\00:13:31.62
It's how much resistance is
there to receiving the reward.
00:13:31.65\00:13:32.62
You have to do an
action to receive the reward.
00:13:41.09\00:13:45.40
I feel like this is the main one
in what we call "peer pressure"
00:13:45.43\00:13:49.69
Children don't have to do
much to make their peers happy.
00:13:49.72\00:13:52.92
They can do any silly,
stupid thing sometimes to make
00:13:52.95\00:13:55.87
everybody happy.
00:13:55.90\00:13:56.88
It's a little bit tougher
to do what mama and daddy says.
00:13:56.91\00:14:00.16
It's a little bit tougher to
do what society, the policeman,
00:14:00.19\00:14:04.08
the teacher says...
00:14:04.11\00:14:05.19
but the easy way out is
sometimes the way that our
00:14:05.22\00:14:08.79
habits will take.
00:14:08.82\00:14:09.79
What is the easiest way?
00:14:09.80\00:14:12.08
Basically, humans work
on that response level.
00:14:12.11\00:14:15.14
Whatever is
easiest, that's what we want.
00:14:15.17\00:14:17.75
The fourth one is "isolation. "
00:14:17.78\00:14:22.04
That is a very
interesting habit-former.
00:14:22.07\00:14:27.64
And, we can see this one in,
let's say, communist countries
00:14:27.67\00:14:32.06
before the Iron Curtain fell,
when they only had that one
00:14:32.09\00:14:35.57
newspaper, the "Pravda. "
00:14:35.60\00:14:36.96
And it put out
just its storyline...
00:14:36.99\00:14:39.75
And they got no other news.
00:14:39.78\00:14:41.85
As a matter of fact, I
was in Ukraine a few years ago
00:14:41.88\00:14:44.49
talking to a gentleman
in the military there, the
00:14:44.52\00:14:47.43
Ukrainian Army, and he said...
00:14:47.46\00:14:50.61
As a matter of fact, the person
I was staying with said the same
00:14:50.64\00:14:53.42
thing... he said that before
communism fell, they perceived
00:14:53.45\00:14:57.66
Americans as being
ugly, 2- headed monsters.
00:14:57.69\00:15:01.13
And what did we think about them
00:15:01.16\00:15:04.51
I've been there now...
00:15:04.54\00:15:05.70
They're wonderful, lovely people
00:15:05.73\00:15:07.34
But it's that isolation of
the truth or the isolation of
00:15:07.37\00:15:11.96
stimulizations...
00:15:11.99\00:15:13.25
If you receive just one stimulus
00:15:13.28\00:15:15.42
that's where you're
going to go with your response.
00:15:15.45\00:15:17.68
And so, as we receive
that one thing over and over
00:15:17.71\00:15:20.96
and over again
without any other stimulus,
00:15:20.99\00:15:23.67
that will be what
will become habituated too.
00:15:23.70\00:15:26.71
And the last one
is the "time delay. "
00:15:26.74\00:15:30.82
How much time is there between
the stimulus and our reward.
00:15:30.85\00:15:37.50
And we find these... as a matter
of fact, every one of these
00:15:37.53\00:15:40.79
things will be tied up within
the paradigm of our senses.
00:15:40.82\00:15:45.23
"I want something quick. "
00:15:45.26\00:15:48.45
I remember one time I
was at someone's home and
00:15:48.48\00:15:49.45
the woman's daughter was
sort of lounging on the couch
00:15:49.48\00:15:50.45
and her head was hanging
off and one arm and one leg
00:15:50.48\00:15:51.45
was on the back of the couch
00:15:55.56\00:15:57.18
and she says,
"entertain me mom, I'm bored. "
00:15:57.21\00:16:00.66
She wanted some
instant gratification.
00:16:00.69\00:16:03.17
She wanted somebody
to do something for her.
00:16:03.20\00:16:05.35
And so there is time delay.
00:16:05.38\00:16:07.17
If we can get that response
right away, we are more apt to
00:16:07.20\00:16:10.75
become habituated to it.
00:16:10.78\00:16:12.85
I think this might be
the big one for cocaine.
00:16:12.88\00:16:15.34
They say that people who
take cocaine, that first hit is
00:16:15.37\00:16:18.89
like an unbelievable experience.
00:16:18.92\00:16:21.11
And they are always going back
looking for that first response.
00:16:21.14\00:16:24.88
There was no time delay
and it was an instant response.
00:16:24.91\00:16:27.91
And, in having this instant
response, they formed a habit.
00:16:27.94\00:16:33.28
These habits that we form in our
lives are pretty strong habits
00:16:33.31\00:16:34.28
I want to mention one more
social studier... a man who
00:16:37.88\00:16:41.80
was into studying
the formation of habits
00:16:41.83\00:16:46.96
and this was a habit called,
or basically a form of habits
00:16:46.99\00:16:50.30
"conditioned response. "
00:16:50.33\00:16:51.94
You've all heard about the
man, his name was "Pavlov. "
00:16:51.97\00:16:54.73
He was a Russian
social scientist...
00:16:54.76\00:16:56.43
And what he would do, is
every time he would feed the
00:16:56.46\00:17:00.83
dog, he'd ring a bell.
00:17:00.86\00:17:01.83
Feed the dog, ring a
bell. Feed the dog, ring a bell.
00:17:01.84\00:17:03.85
Feed the dog, ring
a bell. Ring a bell.
00:17:03.88\00:17:05.71
Well, when he would just ring
the bell after that dog got used
00:17:05.74\00:17:09.39
to connecting the food with
the bell, he would find that
00:17:09.42\00:17:13.32
the dogs all salivated.
00:17:13.35\00:17:15.23
The saliva started flowing
because they heard the bell.
00:17:15.26\00:17:18.25
We get ourselves habituated
to things by the repetition,
00:17:18.28\00:17:22.27
by their intensity, by their
time delay, by their reward,
00:17:22.30\00:17:26.20
by isolation...
00:17:26.23\00:17:27.81
All these things will
give us a strong habit.
00:17:27.84\00:17:30.95
We need to make sure we
are forming good habits because
00:17:30.98\00:17:33.06
they are formed the
very same way... Dr. Thrash.
00:17:33.09\00:17:35.71
Yes they are, and habits can
be a blessing to us or they can
00:17:35.74\00:17:40.01
be really a curse,
as you just mentioned.
00:17:40.04\00:17:42.06
Now with habits, Merriam-
Webster has a definition here
00:17:42.09\00:17:48.26
of habit and I'd
like just to read this...
00:17:48.29\00:17:50.23
"A behavior pattern acquired
by frequent repetition. "
00:17:50.26\00:17:54.45
Well that helps us to
know that a habit can be
00:17:54.48\00:17:55.45
broken in the same way.
00:17:55.48\00:17:56.45
You can break a habit by
frequently repeating not doing
00:17:58.84\00:18:02.59
that thing in the way that
you had been doing it that made
00:18:02.62\00:18:05.48
you have the habit.
00:18:05.51\00:18:06.58
You can change any behavior
that you have developed yourself
00:18:06.61\00:18:11.35
Now, you may need the help
of others and there are some
00:18:11.38\00:18:15.04
people whose habits
are so firmly entrenched,
00:18:15.07\00:18:17.67
that they cannot
break it by themselves.
00:18:17.70\00:18:20.29
Drug addicts are of this kind...
00:18:20.32\00:18:21.81
but many people who are addicted
to food will have the same
00:18:21.84\00:18:25.19
kind of problem.
00:18:25.22\00:18:26.19
They cannot break that
habit without some human help.
00:18:26.20\00:18:30.62
And so, we can say, let the
tempted one who is struggling
00:18:30.65\00:18:33.87
with some habit, go to a
trusted friend and say...
00:18:33.90\00:18:37.24
"Keep me with you, I am
powerless from the snare to go.
00:18:37.27\00:18:41.52
Do not let me out of your sight
until I am strong enough to
00:18:41.55\00:18:44.32
stand alone. "
00:18:44.35\00:18:45.34
Now I wish that were my quote
but Ellen White did that quote
00:18:45.37\00:18:48.87
and I am happy to have
it because it lets us know
00:18:48.90\00:18:52.61
that there are some people
who should not feel embarrassed
00:18:52.64\00:18:57.22
at all to ask someone to be with
them until they break a habit.
00:18:57.25\00:19:01.67
And, of course, we've probably
had experiences along those
00:19:01.70\00:19:05.19
lines where somebody in our
circle of friends used us as
00:19:05.22\00:19:11.64
the person who would be
with them or that they would
00:19:11.67\00:19:14.82
"hang out with" until
they had broken the habit.
00:19:14.85\00:19:15.82
It's a good way and you should
feel that a very sacred duty
00:19:15.85\00:19:21.95
when someone comes to you and
asks you to do that very thing.
00:19:21.98\00:19:25.42
Then another thing is that
the tempted person can pray.
00:19:25.45\00:19:29.19
If you have a habit
that you don't want to have
00:19:29.22\00:19:31.95
and you would like to see it
broken, then pray about that.
00:19:31.98\00:19:35.31
And God has told us that if we
will FLEE, if we will RUN from
00:19:35.34\00:19:42.30
the temptation, that this
will often give us the victory.
00:19:42.33\00:19:46.11
We also know that if we
CRY OUT to the Lord, that
00:19:46.14\00:19:50.64
that that will
often give us the victory.
00:19:50.67\00:19:51.64
So those two things, to
FLEE, to leave the scene...
00:19:51.65\00:19:54.61
and the second, to CRY OUT...
00:19:54.64\00:19:56.66
And another is, if you can't
cry out and you can't leave,
00:19:56.69\00:20:00.82
you can still resist...
00:20:00.85\00:20:02.57
And the Bible tells us
that if we RESIST temptation,
00:20:02.60\00:20:05.43
the devil will flee from us.
00:20:05.46\00:20:07.00
So, these three things can
be used very nicely to break a
00:20:07.03\00:20:13.60
habit and to resist temptation
and to be victorious over those
00:20:13.63\00:20:17.78
things that we want to change.
00:20:17.81\00:20:19.18
Now the Bible tells us that
"The prudent man foreseeth evil
00:20:19.21\00:20:23.98
and hideth himself. "
00:20:24.01\00:20:25.42
Now what that means is this...
00:20:25.45\00:20:26.87
Let us say you are a young
person and you are tempted with
00:20:26.90\00:20:30.65
tobacco, or you are
tempted with some drug,
00:20:30.68\00:20:33.51
or you are tempted with alcohol
00:20:33.54\00:20:35.48
or with a sexual experience,
00:20:35.51\00:20:37.84
whatever it may be...
00:20:37.87\00:20:39.30
The wise person will think...
"That will lead down a road that
00:20:39.33\00:20:44.62
I don't want to go. "
00:20:44.66\00:20:45.71
And so, you should resist that.
00:20:45.74\00:20:48.87
Wise man foresees evil, hides
himself from it... do that.
00:20:48.90\00:20:54.34
If you see a habit forming
in yourself, or even the threat
00:20:54.37\00:21:00.13
of it forming in yourself,
00:21:00.16\00:21:01.53
foresee the evil and
hide yourself from it.
00:21:01.56\00:21:05.20
It will do very much for you.
00:21:05.23\00:21:07.12
Now, at the same time
that you are changing a habit,
00:21:07.15\00:21:10.20
do some other change as well.
00:21:10.23\00:21:12.92
It's good to change a
comfortable chair where you sit.
00:21:12.95\00:21:17.82
It's good to change some
other things in your program at
00:21:17.85\00:21:21.83
that same time.
00:21:21.86\00:21:22.83
Maybe you should change
your diet and go on an all
00:21:22.84\00:21:24.88
raw diet for a few days.
00:21:24.91\00:21:26.96
Or an all fruit
diet for a few days.
00:21:26.99\00:21:29.13
And many of these
things can be a help.
00:21:29.16\00:21:32.15
Now Don Miller is
going to develop this theme a
00:21:32.18\00:21:35.77
little further, of
breaking the habit.
00:21:35.80\00:21:37.83
Don Miller.
00:21:37.86\00:21:38.99
You know, we all form habits
in various ways in our lifetimes
00:21:39.02\00:21:43.07
and I've formed some pretty
strong habits in my life and
00:21:43.10\00:21:45.91
there are certain experiences
and I always hearken back to my
00:21:45.94\00:21:50.01
military experience because in
the military, you learn habits
00:21:50.04\00:21:53.27
really strongly.
00:21:53.30\00:21:54.48
I still lace my
shoes left over right.
00:21:54.51\00:21:57.83
I still, even when I get dressed
as a civilian, I make sure
00:21:57.86\00:22:01.87
my shirt is lined up
with my belt which is lined up
00:22:01.90\00:22:04.33
with my fly.
00:22:04.36\00:22:05.33
Everything is perfectly lined up
because that's how I was taught.
00:22:05.34\00:22:08.96
It was drilled into me.
00:22:08.99\00:22:10.13
I can still not chew gum
because Marines don't chew gum.
00:22:10.16\00:22:14.24
There are things that
I learned which I don't
00:22:14.27\00:22:15.24
think are bad habits.
00:22:15.27\00:22:16.24
There are things though,
that I learned in my military
00:22:17.96\00:22:20.26
experience, that were not
the best habits in the world.
00:22:20.29\00:22:23.78
And so, I tried. I tried so hard
to get these things out of my
00:22:23.81\00:22:30.00
habit experience and what
I finally had to do because
00:22:30.03\00:22:33.41
whereas I was out
of the military...
00:22:33.44\00:22:35.53
the military was
not yet out of me.
00:22:35.56\00:22:38.19
So what I had to do one
day, I made a nice funeral pyre
00:22:38.22\00:22:42.48
and I brought all my uniforms...
00:22:42.51\00:22:45.06
If there are any
ex-marines, I'm sorry...
00:22:45.09\00:22:46.63
I brought my blues, I brought
my whites, I brought my greens
00:22:46.66\00:22:50.61
I brought my white shoes.
00:22:50.64\00:22:52.21
I brought my accoutrements.
00:22:52.24\00:22:53.58
I brought everything!
00:22:53.61\00:22:55.04
Laid them on that thing,
doused them with gasoline...
00:22:55.07\00:22:57.39
WOOF... and set them on fire.
00:22:57.42\00:22:59.49
And it was amazing the
difference that made in my
00:22:59.52\00:23:02.57
experience... to see a thousand
dollars worth of uniforms
00:23:02.60\00:23:05.45
going up in
smoke... it seemed to help.
00:23:05.48\00:23:07.73
But there is
something else I want to do.
00:23:07.76\00:23:09.57
I want to go back to the acronym
basically, we made it an acronym
00:23:09.60\00:23:11.27
on the board here and talk about
what happens once we've got a
00:23:11.30\00:23:12.97
habit formed... how do
we get out of this habit.
00:23:13.01\00:23:21.48
The first thing we've got to
do ... we talked about how often
00:23:21.51\00:23:25.04
do we get
rewarded by this habit.
00:23:25.07\00:23:27.97
First of all, we have
to break the frequency.
00:23:28.00\00:23:30.16
So let's say we break
the frequency of our habit.
00:23:30.19\00:23:33.64
So, we can erase the "H."
00:23:33.67\00:23:35.25
But what's left?
00:23:35.28\00:23:37.54
Well, there is
still a bit of it there.
00:23:37.57\00:23:40.38
And so we've got to take
the next step in our experience.
00:23:40.41\00:23:43.84
The amount of the reward.
00:23:43.87\00:23:45.96
We've got to sit there and say,
"well, I've got to quit taking
00:23:45.99\00:23:49.42
so much. "
00:23:49.45\00:23:50.42
I've got to first get
away from it and I've got to...
00:23:50.43\00:23:53.75
the amount of the reward
somehow within my mind...
00:23:53.78\00:23:56.64
we can convenience
ourselves that this is not good.
00:23:56.67\00:23:59.32
We've got to tell in our minds.
00:23:59.35\00:24:00.71
We say "no, this is not
good for me... this is not the
00:24:00.74\00:24:03.44
right thing to do. "
00:24:03.47\00:24:04.44
We can also replace a
bad habit with a good habit.
00:24:05.22\00:24:08.27
But still, a bit of
the habit is still left.
00:24:08.30\00:24:11.14
And so we go a
little bit further.
00:24:11.17\00:24:12.97
And we get rid of the "B."
00:24:13.00\00:24:15.49
That's the "bother factor. "
00:24:15.52\00:24:17.28
That's the easy way out.
00:24:17.31\00:24:19.75
And as I mentioned, that's where
peer pressure normally comes in.
00:24:19.78\00:24:22.55
What we have to do at least
for a period of time is change
00:24:22.58\00:24:26.71
our group of friends.
00:24:26.74\00:24:28.25
Change our associations.
00:24:28.28\00:24:30.52
Change our surroundings because
if this group of friends is
00:24:30.55\00:24:33.92
always going to go out and
smoke cigarettes and drink beer,
00:24:33.95\00:24:36.13
and you're trying to quit,
it stands to reason that we're
00:24:36.16\00:24:39.84
not going to be with this
group of people right now.
00:24:39.87\00:24:41.62
Let's get with another group
of people until we are so strong
00:24:41.65\00:24:44.83
in the other direction,
that we will never go back
00:24:44.86\00:24:47.59
to that experience.
00:24:47.62\00:24:48.59
But, "it" is still there.
00:24:48.60\00:24:51.52
So, we do a little bit more.
00:24:51.55\00:24:53.88
The isolation factor.
00:24:53.91\00:24:55.50
Let's get rid of
the isolation factor.
00:24:55.53\00:24:57.27
All right, we're done
with the isolation factor.
00:24:57.30\00:24:59.35
How do we do that?
00:24:59.38\00:25:00.90
We've got to then allow
other stimulus's to come into
00:25:00.93\00:25:04.26
our experience.
00:25:04.29\00:25:05.26
We've just been
listening to one train...
00:25:05.27\00:25:06.99
Let's talk about a
person who's into rock music.
00:25:07.02\00:25:09.81
Listening to the
wrong type of music.
00:25:09.84\00:25:11.62
The best thing to do is
start listening to the right
00:25:11.65\00:25:12.62
type of music.
00:25:12.65\00:25:13.62
Open up our experiences to the
right type of music and we'll
00:25:14.88\00:25:18.35
find some experiences
that will be good there.
00:25:18.38\00:25:20.43
But what happens?
The "T" is still there.
00:25:20.46\00:25:23.87
There's still a
tittle... still a jot left.
00:25:23.90\00:25:24.87
So, by God's grace, we can
get rid of that time element.
00:25:26.70\00:25:31.52
That time between the
stimulus and the response.
00:25:31.55\00:25:34.74
And now it no longer finds
a hearkening voice within me.
00:25:34.77\00:25:39.91
But you may not be able to
see it but on this board, I can
00:25:39.94\00:25:43.63
still see the word
"habit" lightly written because
00:25:43.66\00:25:47.20
even with the eraser, basically
once you have formed a habit
00:25:47.23\00:25:51.41
that habit is with you
for the rest of your days.
00:25:51.44\00:25:54.49
And so my recommendation is
what we need to do is make sure
00:25:54.52\00:25:58.16
that our habits are not
forming in the wrong direction.
00:25:58.19\00:26:03.78
Form good habits now while
you're young and you will find
00:26:03.81\00:26:07.08
many, many rewards, or you
will be fighting that habit
00:26:07.11\00:26:09.91
for the rest of your days
until Jesus comes in the clouds
00:26:09.94\00:26:12.75
of glory and
everything is blotted out.
00:26:12.78\00:26:14.81
And I'm looking forward to that
day because I still have things
00:26:14.84\00:26:17.32
siren calls in the back of my
mind... I will not respond but
00:26:17.35\00:26:21.88
still the call is there.
00:26:21.91\00:26:22.96
I don't want to hear that
call any more, Dr. Thrash.
00:26:22.99\00:26:25.50
Yes, we can be thankful to the
Lord that He has made it so that
00:26:25.53\00:26:30.03
we can change.
00:26:30.06\00:26:31.41
We can make big
changes in our lives.
00:26:31.44\00:26:33.79
In fact, we can make
such changes that our whole
00:26:33.82\00:26:38.47
life style is different.
00:26:38.50\00:26:41.41
I remember the time when I
changed from a 3-meal-a-day plan
00:26:41.44\00:26:46.55
to a 2-meal-a-day plan.
00:26:46.58\00:26:47.70
I had always prided myself
in having 3 square meals a day.
00:26:47.73\00:26:50.97
That may be a
Southern expression.
00:26:51.00\00:26:52.90
We certainly use it a
lot and believe in it.
00:26:52.93\00:26:55.32
So when I realized that the
physiologic way to have a meal
00:26:55.35\00:26:59.67
pattern was 2 meals a day,
I wanted to change to that.
00:26:59.70\00:27:02.99
But, it was not so easy
as just wanting to change.
00:27:03.02\00:27:06.18
It required quite an
effort and it was a challenge.
00:27:06.21\00:27:08.51
And so I began to work on it
and finally, little by little
00:27:08.54\00:27:12.26
the Lord helped me so that more
and more time was put between
00:27:12.29\00:27:16.84
the time when I had eaten 3
meals and the time I was now
00:27:16.87\00:27:20.05
eating 2 and it was a great
blessing to me to have that
00:27:20.08\00:27:23.85
2- meal-a-day pattern.
00:27:23.88\00:27:24.99
I'd like to read to you a prayer
from Psalm 63, verses 1 and 2.
00:27:25.02\00:27:30.79
"Oh God, You are my God;
00:27:30.82\00:27:33.30
Earnestly I seek you;
00:27:33.33\00:27:35.81
My soul thirsts for
You; My body longs for You
00:27:35.84\00:27:39.74
In a dry and weary land
00:27:39.77\00:27:42.29
Where there is no water.
00:27:42.32\00:27:44.11
Because Your love
is better than life,
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My soul will be satisfied
as with the richest of foods,
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with singing on my lips. "
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May God bless you richly.
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