Habits- what are you wearing?

This week I've had to deal with someone who has, despite so many attempts to help them, continued to try to stir up trouble and manipulate and negatively influence those around them. I was praying about this- and considering why it is so hard to break bad habits. The Lord was guiding me to learn more about habits. The dictionary defines habit as:

1 a settled or regular tendency or practice, esp. one that is hard to give up

it also refers to habit as:

2• archaic dress; attire

or 

3 archaic a person's bodily condition or constitution 

I like looking up the history of the meaning of a word. Here's some background on the word habit:

ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French abit, habit, from Latin habitus ‘condition, appearance,’ from habere ‘have, consist of.’ The term originally meant [dress, attire,] later coming to denote physical or mental constitution.

When I read these meanings I could see a connection between the kinds of behaviours we practice and the archaic meaning of habit- a dress or attire. Our habits become the things we wear. What we clothe ourselves in. What we become comfortable in, or settle into. Eventually, these habits can wear us, to the point they become our physical and mental condition. What came to mind was the scripture :

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.Colossians 3:12-14

It's like God is reminding me that it's up to me to put on these things habitually [daily]- like a 'dress' or my attire. Clothe myself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Put up with others, even when they may have wronged me- show forgiveness, remembering that I'm forgiven for much more than what I might be upset about. And above all else- over the top of all of those layers of clothing- put on love, which will just set everything off, bring it all together.

Having prayed about this, God showed me in His word that although at times it can be a struggle, 

"...it is better, if it is the will of God to suffer for doing good, than for doing evil". 1 Peter 3:17. I'll share more revelations about this in my next update...