You've kept track of my every toss and turn through the sleepless nights Psalm 56:8 The Message
This verse identifies that God is never on holiday, never asleep. He keeps a 24/7 watch on our lives.
Internal issues in our lives can cause us to have restless nights if we do not deal with them. Each day we must practice Step 10 'Continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong promptly admit it' To God to ourselves and to those who have been effected by our wrong doing.
Recovery is a daily process and The Twelve Steps require Daily Application.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Common Sense Choices
Proverbs is a book filled with a lot of common sense ideas for living. In this day and age because of the business if life – because we don’t communicate with one another as we should or because of our addictive and compulsive habits, hang-ups and hurts we can live lives that lack much common sense. Our lives can be driven by our own wants and desires or our ignorance, denial and pride and we can fail to make common sense choices in our lives that will improve not only our lives but also those we are closest too.
Written by Solomon because he was aware of the need for young people to develop proper priorities, boundaries and behaviour patterns in their lives.
Recovery is a common sense choice that requires
COMMITMENT – Complete – Consistent – Continuous
I. We can make attractive choices that sometimes lead to relapse.
Proverbs 1:10 NIV
My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.
For many of we have lived with our addictions and dependencies for a long time and even though we know the trouble they have caused us and our loved ones – they are a place where we feel comfortable. A place we have become accustomed too. And, for that reason when we stop using our drug of choice and start to get well some of the choices we see before us seem attractive. But we need to make sure that whatever direction we are going in, in recovery is a direction that is going to be good for us – a direction that is not going to jeopardize our new found sobriety.
When we come into recovery we need a life transformation which includes getting rid of and staying away from people and places in our lives that will attract us back to the old way of living and thinking.
II. We can remember that good choices have positive long-term results.
POSITIVE – Attitudes – Actions -Assumptions
Proverbs 13:6
A man’s goodness helps him all through life, while evil men are being destroyed by their wickedness.
It should not surprise us that evil deeds destroy good people and addiction and dependency result in painful consequences. Drug and alcohol abuse will destroy the body, lying will ruin a person’s reputation; gambling will put people in the poor house. To avoid the inevitable results of our addictions need to commit our lives to something different. If we have run our own life for so long with destructive results, we need to find a new way of doing things. The only way I know that works is by learning to live life God’s way, instead of my own, Following God’s direction for your life leads to happiness and gives us positive attitudes – actions and assumptions.
III. We need to remember that right choices are sometimes difficult.
Matthew 9:9 NLT
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.
When Jesus called Matthew to be one of his disciples, Matthew got up and followed him. Leaving behind a lucrative career. Matthew was a tax collector who agreed to pay Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee a certain amount in advance; so anything he collected from people in tax over tax amount went into his own pocket. It was common in that time for tax collectors to add their own charges to the established tax levies.
So here is a guy who had a good job, was probably living pretty comfortable and along comes Jesus and says “Follow me” and he does.
In step 3 of the Twelve Steps we are presented with a life changing decision ‘turn our will and our lives over to God’s care’
Sometimes this can be a painful decision but if we want to overcome our addictions and dependencies we need to make the common sense decision.
I CAN’T – HE CAN – I THINK I WILL LET HIM
Written by Solomon because he was aware of the need for young people to develop proper priorities, boundaries and behaviour patterns in their lives.
Recovery is a common sense choice that requires
COMMITMENT – Complete – Consistent – Continuous
I. We can make attractive choices that sometimes lead to relapse.
Proverbs 1:10 NIV
My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.
For many of we have lived with our addictions and dependencies for a long time and even though we know the trouble they have caused us and our loved ones – they are a place where we feel comfortable. A place we have become accustomed too. And, for that reason when we stop using our drug of choice and start to get well some of the choices we see before us seem attractive. But we need to make sure that whatever direction we are going in, in recovery is a direction that is going to be good for us – a direction that is not going to jeopardize our new found sobriety.
When we come into recovery we need a life transformation which includes getting rid of and staying away from people and places in our lives that will attract us back to the old way of living and thinking.
II. We can remember that good choices have positive long-term results.
POSITIVE – Attitudes – Actions -Assumptions
Proverbs 13:6
A man’s goodness helps him all through life, while evil men are being destroyed by their wickedness.
It should not surprise us that evil deeds destroy good people and addiction and dependency result in painful consequences. Drug and alcohol abuse will destroy the body, lying will ruin a person’s reputation; gambling will put people in the poor house. To avoid the inevitable results of our addictions need to commit our lives to something different. If we have run our own life for so long with destructive results, we need to find a new way of doing things. The only way I know that works is by learning to live life God’s way, instead of my own, Following God’s direction for your life leads to happiness and gives us positive attitudes – actions and assumptions.
III. We need to remember that right choices are sometimes difficult.
Matthew 9:9 NLT
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.
When Jesus called Matthew to be one of his disciples, Matthew got up and followed him. Leaving behind a lucrative career. Matthew was a tax collector who agreed to pay Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee a certain amount in advance; so anything he collected from people in tax over tax amount went into his own pocket. It was common in that time for tax collectors to add their own charges to the established tax levies.
So here is a guy who had a good job, was probably living pretty comfortable and along comes Jesus and says “Follow me” and he does.
In step 3 of the Twelve Steps we are presented with a life changing decision ‘turn our will and our lives over to God’s care’
Sometimes this can be a painful decision but if we want to overcome our addictions and dependencies we need to make the common sense decision.
I CAN’T – HE CAN – I THINK I WILL LET HIM
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