Right Choices

You say, "I am allowed to do anything"—but not everything is good for you. You say, "I am allowed to do anything"—but not everything is beneficial. 1 Corinthians 10:23 (The Life Recovery Bible)

Recovery is not concerned with following rules. It is about developing responsibility, balance and good decision making practices on a
day-to-day basis. Practicing the principles of the Twelve Steps helps us grow, but instead of becoming regimental rule-keepers we need to
grow into the responsibility and fulfillment that can only be found through God and personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Excuses

Exodus 3:11 But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”

Early in recovery we sometime fail to attain the progress we expect and ask ourselves similar questions to the one Moses asked of God. "Who am I to deserve recovery? Who am I to lead a life any different to the one I have led up till now?

Sometimes as it says in the 'Big Book' of alcoholics anonymous we look for easier, softer ways. We allow doubt to get the better of us. Our hearts and minds become lured by lesser objectives. We gradually fade in our devotion to recovery and begin to settle for less-than-the-best:

We start out in recovery fired up only to fizzle out because things don't go according to our plans. The promise of long term transformation becomes an unreachable goal. Change is still inviting, but unwillingness to apply new disciplines to our lives causes us to continue to miss the mark.

It is always sad to see prospective winners settle for a second-rate effort in their recovery walks. When only the best will do, let us not be content with less than first rate efforts - recovery is not something we can fool around with. It is life or death. We need to give all and give away half-heartedness. The only way any of us can achieve complete sobriety and serenity is by total commitment.

In the scripture listed above Moses made excuses because He felt inadequate for the job God asked him to do. By himself he was inadequate. But God wasn't asking Moses to work alone. Neither does He ask us to travel the road of recovery alone. He offers us resources, just as he did Moses for each Step along the way. We should not hide behind our own inadequacies, but look beyond ourselves to the greatest recovery resource available, God Himself! Then we can allow Him to transform us into the people He created us to be...

Live by the Spirit

Ephesians 5:15-18
So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,

Live Cautiously: It is impossible without the Holy Spirit living in and through you to maintain purity of heart and life. Time is a talent given us by God, and it is misspent and lost when we do not live according to his design

Live Wisely: Do not neglect you’re soul. Psalm 57:1 “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.” Rely on God to help you be all He has planned you to be.Live Soberly: Alcoholism is a disease but drunkenness is a sin. A sin that never goes alone, but carries men into other evils; it is a sin very provoking to God. When drunk we ignore our families and to the world are sad spectacles of a sinner hardened beyond what is common. When things don’t go our way, let us not raise our spirits by strong drink, which is hateful and hurtful, and only ends in making things worse.

Live Prayerfully: Through prayer let us seek to be filled with the Spirit, and to avoid whatever may offend our gracious Comforter. We all have reason to sing for joy. Though we are not always singing, we should be always be thankful.

Thankful that Jesus died for our sins:
Thankful that God gave us a way to overcome our addictions and compulsive lives (Read the Bible)
Thankful that He rose from the dead and because of that we have opportunity to a new way of living (Live by the Spirit)