SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN IS THE MAGIC NUMBER
“What habitis to the individual; custom is to the group; and group customs develop into folkways or tribal traditions—mass conventions.” [UB 68:4:1]
Thought Adjuster: “Observing how each order of beings conducts their life, it is evident that they, indeed, are creatures of habit, acting according to highly sophisticated patterns.
“Nature is in a limited sense the physical habit of God.” [UB 4:2:1] His well-defined, immutable, and unchanging laws are reliable. They ensure a smooth running of the cosmic operations that foster the sustainability of all creatures. Yet, “God is not a habit-bound slave to the chronicity of the repetition of his own voluntary acts.” [UB 12:7:4]
To do something once is not habit-forming, as habits ensue from repetition. Appealing stimuli trigger their formation and prompt you to want to reproduce or even enhance the experience. Addictions to drugs, alcohol, or sexual gratification are among the many casualties of harmful practices. These sensory experiences constitute dangerous Trojan horses that will enslave you if you do not keep a watchful eye on the gateways to your being.
Established patterns become yourmodus operandi—for better or worse when you ‘prostitute’ a good habit. Remain on high alert and conduct ongoing quality control according to the universal Golden Rule that sets a single-standard for moral and ethical living: “Treat others as you want to be treated.”
Jesus abided by it in all matters—private or public. Early on, he formed the lifelong habit to take frequent time-outs to commune with his divine Fragment— “the technique, not only of gathering strength and wisdom for the ordinary conflicts of living, but also of appropriating the energy for the solution of the higher problems of a moral and spiritual nature.” [UB 160:1:10]
After identifying unbecoming habits, activate your will-power to dismantle them and trade them off for their good-will nemesis. Seventy times seven is the biblical magic number. Persevere and you shall succeed.”
