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Mahatma Gandhi wrote: “Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.” Since the word “habit” is a synonym for pattern, this quote reminds me of the even higher calling that Paul issued to Titus when he wrote,
“In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works…” (Titus 2:7).
You see, the child of God is not called upon merely to achieve an admirable “destiny” for himself in life by the thoughts and actions that fill our everyday lives. We are called upon to achieve an admirable destiny for others, by showing ourselves a pattern of good works to which they can look in order to mold their own destinies in life. That’s an infinitely higher calling than just aspiring to better yourself!
It’s true that beliefs become thoughts. If your belief is that salvation is “not by works of righteousness” (Titus 3:5), then that belief should become a thought in you, causing you to think “that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works” (Titus 3:8). A life filled with habitual good works is exactly the kind of life that can serve as an excellent pattern for other believers. That’s why Paul exhorted Titus to be “zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14).
But you need to show yourself to be a pattern of good works in such a way that people know you’re not doing good works to pay for your sins, but instead to show your connection to the Savior who paid for your sins.
The reason you want to be a pattern of good works in all things isn’t to pay for your sins, but to show your connection to the Lord who paid for your sins. People need to know that that’s why you do good works, so they know that salvation is “not of works” (Eph. 2:9).
If you’re saved, you are in Christ, “and if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” (II Cor. 5:17). And Paul says that we were “created in Christ Jesus unto good works” (Eph. 2:10). No creature of God is ever happy unless he is doing what God created him to do. Birds were created to fly, horses were created to run, and fish were created to swim, and none of them are happy when they are caged. And you’ll never know true happiness in life unless you’re walking in the good works “which God hath before ordained that we should walk in” (Eph. 2:10).
Before you were saved, you were “accustomed to do evil” (Jer. 13:23). You were a creature of habit–bad habits. Why not determine right now to become a creature of good habits? source
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