Let's Get Real: Addressing Habitual Sin

Have a habit of eating too many donuts? A habit of gossip? A habit of laziness? A habit of lust? Let's get real.
    I'm not perfect. In fact, nobody is perfect. Some see this as a bad thing, but I see it as one of the best things. Here's what I mean; every saint was a sinner, which means being a sinner is a requirement for becoming a saint! More importantly, being a sinner is a requirement to be Christian, because it allows Jesus to save us! That means that you and I are qualified!

The Ugly Truth
    If we know that we are qualified to be Christians and saints by being sinners, then we know that we sin. Sometimes this can mean different things for different people, but I want to make sure that we are all clear on what I mean when I say "sin".
    Sin is anything that breaks our relationship with God. Sin is knowing that God is calling us to do something but choosing to do something else.
    If we want to be best that we can be, then we have to acknowledge where we sin. This feels bad because we have to reflect on the times that we were not who we want to be. It's ugly and can hurt, but it's necessary to become the people that we all want to be. So here's what I want you to do: write down where in your life your relationship with God is broken. List it out. Take a few moments to think about it.
    I'm just going to take a guess here, but I bet you have one or two sins that you struggle with all the time. I know that I have and still do.

The Beautiful Lie
    This is one of Satan's biggest and favorite lies to tell us; that this sin is a part of us that we can never get rid of. It's easy to fall into the trap of accepting this, because it's always been there and you've never been able to turn away from it. Get it in your head right now that this sin, whatever it is, is not a part of you, but just a bad habit. That's all that it is.
    One of the best things that we can do to combat this lie is to pray for God to reveal the truth about our habits. Understanding the truth is wonderful, but how can we get rid of these bad habits?

    Here are six steps to getting rid of habitual sin:

	Write down the excuses you usually make for committing that sin.     Study them, and learn what lies Satan is trying to put into your head so that you know what to look out for. These are red flags; whenever these thoughts go through your head, an alarm should go off.
	Physically remove yourself from anything that leads you to the sin.     Move things, throw things away, leave doors open, avert your eyes, change your schedule; whatever it is, do it.
	Confide in someone you trust with the sin you are struggling with.     Get this accountability partner so you don't have to walk this road alone.
	Replace that sin with prayer.     If sin is turning away from God, the best way to build that relationship up is to turn towards God in prayer. Commit yourself to a new devotion in prayer. One of the best ways to commit yourself to prayer is to pray a rosary for anyone else, known or unknown, who is struggling with that same sin.
	Acknowledge and pray to your guardian angel.     One of our greatest assets and friends is one that we can't see and that we rarely think about. Our guardian angels are always with us, fighting for our righteousness, protecting us from Satan and sin.
	Go to Confession!     This one is huge. It's the game-changer. Without it, most people would not be able to get out of habitual sin. Inside the confessional is where Christ's triumph over death and sin is fulfilled today. He is a God of love and mercy, and He wants to give that mercy to you.