Hebrews 3:6
It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek Him.
As much as we don't like to hear it.......
It truly is an "all or nothing" kind of lifestyle when it comes to recovery.
Our society is permeated with an attitude of "I'll Try!"
"I'll try to get sober."
"I'll try to do this Jesus thing."
"I'll try to make those meetings."
"I'll try to read my Bible and pray."
Try is just another word for "I will make an attempt, but don't be surprised if I mess it up and fail."
The Big Book of AA says that "Half measures avail us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandonment."
This is the place where we launch out into the unknown.
This is the mindset that we must lay hold of in order to move forward both in our relationship with Jesus and in our recovery. (actually the two are one....)
Our faith becomes the God-given glue that makes it all stick together and not fall apart as it has in times past when attempted sobriety on our own.
The Message Bible puts it like this. Hebrews 11:1
The Fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors and set them above the crowd.
In other words, Faith must be exercised.
It must be coupled with the physical act of obedience.
Faith is not a mental ascent to the theory of God.
Faith is giving away your last dollar to someone hungry, believing that God will take care of you.
Faith is being crushed under the toxic emotions of guilt and shame, yet you slip out and go to the altar to surrender yourself to Jesus.
Faith is being assailed on every side by cravings and thoughts of using, but instead you turn your mind and heart to the Scripture and begin to read out loud the promises of God.
My mind tells me that I will never escape the bondage of addiction...
My faith tells me that I don't have to use.....today.
My faith tells me that I can trust God today.
II Corinthians 5:7 says we are to "Walk by faith and not by sight."
Do so today.
Stretch out your faith and tell God...."Today, I am going to follow you and not my feelings. Today, I am going to have faith in you and not myself."
I think it might be a good day today.
God on you......
mb
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