The Seven Week Itch.
Back when I was just a little tyke, a movie came out of Hollywood starring Marilyn Monroe, titled "The Seven Year Itch". This 1955 classic tale of a married man almost (thank God) succumbing to what psychologists refer to the iconic words of the title is a depiction of the weakness of man. Well, men, to be more specific. Apparently, by the seventh year of many marriages, a man gets restless, yearning to ‘branch out’ if you will, and go against one of the many commands of God. Also apparently, the ‘habit’ of marriage for some just doesn’t play out ‘until death do we part’.
The Fayetteville Church’s devotional this morning is about the classic tale of people sticking to a New Year’s resolution. The advice about using the Bible is paramount (principle, not the title of the famed Hollywood studio) in one’s ability to make AND KEEP a resolution. Many years ago (more than seven), a fairly knowledgeable man of the Bible I knew in Atlanta by the name of Les Johnson (most of you are also familiar with him) told me that most habits are formed after a period of seven weeks. Trying to change your life in some manner for less than that, usually fail. But sticking to a practice for at least seven weeks usually forms a habit that can last a lifetime. I refer to that period as ‘the seven week itch’.
As I mentioned a few days ago, 45% of all people who resolve to make a change (either minor or major) in their lives on the first of the year, fail to keep it through the month of January. If they could have held out for just 3 more weeks, for a total of seven, I’d wager that a greater percentage that 55 would still be practicing their habit by the next New Year’s day.
God practiced this philosophy as well. He did a lot of things in periods of seven. For a period of seven days He waited until Noah had rounded up all the animals before He started the flood. His rules to the early Israelites included seven days of eating unleavened bread. He told them to keep the young cattle and sheep with their mothers for seven days before giving them to Him. One of His laws refers to watching an infected person for seven days to see if he or she gets well, before keeping that person in isolation for a second set of seven days if necessary. In Deuteronomy, God says to wait seven weeks before cutting wheat. God directed through Ezekiel to take a seven month period and bury all the dead so the land would once again be clean. God tested His people for periods of seven years through droughts and famines. He had Jacob wait seven years TWICE to finally marry Rachael. The youngest man to become King of Israel was only seven years old. Just too many sevens in the Bible to relate here today, but to summarize, God used a period of seven, whether it was days, weeks, months or years, to get people’s attention.
If you are itching to stop adhering to your resolution of 4 days ago, don’t scratch it. It will get well all by itself and can become a lifelong habit if you simply stick to it. Struggle real hard (if you have to) to make it through that 49th day…God will reward you. (And men, stop looking at those ‘Marilyn Monroes’ out there!)