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Two days ago I drove out to run a few errands. On the highway I noticed the usual clicking sound of my turn signal was gone. I checked the dashboard and saw the familiar blinking arrows were not lighting up. I immediately suspected the turn signals had failed and brief panic set in.
Thoughts raced through my mind: what if someone hit me from behind because they didn’t see a signal? What if a police officer stopped me? Then I remembered something from my driving test: besides using the car’s indicators, you can signal with your hand.
So I lowered my window and used my hand as the trafficator. I stuck my left hand out to show when I was about to change lanes or turn. I’m pretty sure some drivers thought I was flashing them a casual wave.
At first I kept it up, but gradually I grew tired. Sometimes I “forgot” to put my hand out, and by the time I got home I had almost stopped signaling with my hand altogether.
Here’s the point: the panic faded. I stopped worrying about accidents and police. I became complacent and convinced myself the car was fine. My conscience no longer pricked me as it had at first.
The same thing happens with other habits. Maybe you start ignoring the laundry and at first it bothers you—your home feels messy and your mind restless. But after repeating it a few times, that discomfort eases and the pile becomes the new normal.
I make and sell okrika, and I often root through heaps of rumpled clothing for customers. Recently I realized I’ve let piles of unwashed laundry become accepted. I didn’t plan it; little by little I walked into it.
Have you grown weary of doing what’s right and found yourself slipping into a bad habit?
Maybe it’s social media: you began with occasional checks, then longer sessions, until scrolling became default and guilt faded. Maybe it’s food or drink: you once limited sugar or alcohol, then slowly let rules slide until you were hooked. Maybe it’s how you treat your body: you once guarded it carefully, but gradually loosened those boundaries.
Habits rarely form overnight. We ease into them. Just as I adapted to a broken turn signal, it’s easy to get comfortable with the wrong things.
Which wrong habit are you becoming comfortable with? Pause and do a self-check. Stop walking the wrong path before your conscience becomes dulled.
“…and their consciences are dead.” 1 Timothy 4:2b
A dead conscience no longer warns you. It makes you comfortable with what’s wrong. It convinces you that falsehood is true. A conscience that fades is dangerous.
If you sense your conscience slipping, consider these practical steps:
- Ask God for forgiveness and guidance.
- Set realistic, specific goals to break the habit.
- Commit to not returning to the old pattern.
May God help us all strengthen our consciences and make better choices.
P.S. I’ve decided to spend thirty minutes each day this week tackling the laundry.
What one bad habit will you change?