Pastor Paul E. Penno
Hayward Sabbath Sermon : March 20, 2010
When trainers begin taming a baby elephant, they place a heavy chain around its ankle and stake the chain into the ground. Day after day, hour after hour, the baby elephant struggles to escape. But his efforts are in vain. He simply cannot break free from the grips of that powerful chain. Eventually he surrenders. He resolves in his mind that there is no possible way he can escape that chain. So he relinquishes forever the struggle to be free.
Then when he has given up trying, his masters replace that giant chain with the small little rope. If the elephant ever opened his eyes to the truth, he could break free at any moment. All it would take is one try, but since the elephant doesn’t know that, he doesn’t take a step in the right direction of freedom.
And so it happens that ten, twenty, thirty years later, the giant elephant remains held in bondage by something that really has no power to control him, except the power he chooses to give it.
I have a Native American friend in Southern California who occasionally calls and we enjoy Christian fellowship. He is a down-to-earth fellow and he asked one time, “What is the secret of overcoming habitual sin?” Another way of asking that question is, If we understand true righteousness by faith why don’t we practice it? If we truly understand righteousness by faith it will work and we will live it.
Some have no control of their temper. They are as quick-tempered as a flash. In this respect they have hardly any control of themselves at all. They are intemperate. Others are ruled by their passions. Such was Felix, before whom Paul reasoned of righteousness, self-control, and judgment to come. Others are ruled by their appetites—things which in themselves are perfectly lawful, but by which thousands of people allow themselves to be controlled, instead of assuming the mastery themselves, and acting with self-control. Others allow the desire of greed to rule, and to drive them onward into many foolish and hurtful things.
So it is in all things, in every phase of life. Instead of ruling themselves they allow themselves to be ruled by some wicked, sinful thing. One is controlled by strong drink; another is controlled by impure thoughts and lustful desires, another by a gluttonous appetite, and so on through the long list of human frailties. Each one lacks something of that self-control which he owes himself, in filling the place of a real manly man, or womanly woman, in the world. No one of us has much in which he can boast himself over his fellow-mortals.
So now to my friend’s question: “How do you overcome bad habits?” We fall prey to habits because it brings us perceived pleasure. Bad habits are a form of pleasing self. The radius of concern is self-centeredness. If the secret to victory over bad habits is focused on self the results will be continued failure.