Which Do You Have? Structure? Or Life?

Genesis 2:7
Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

I've kind of been parked here in this verse and in this idea of "being formed".
Shaped by the hand of God, if you will.
Designed and brought forth from thought to reality using the material at hand...in the case, the dust of the ground.
It's not so much the idea of formation or even that it was God who was going through this creative process...
To me, it is the idea of someone greater than I am having the ability to impart life to this lifeless, useless piece of dirt and dust. The very elements I walk upon every day were the basis for my being here.
That this God I claim to believe in and follow still possesses the ability, authority and power to impart life to whomever He chooses.

Now flash forward with me.
Addiction.
Addiction takes our very lives down to the lowest common denominator. We think ourselves to have no value what so ever. We have even said or commented that we are treated like what? Dirt! Could it be that spiritually, addiction has reduced us to that base set of elements where there isn't any life?
Could it be that we are merely a shell?
A structure walking around in search of life.
In search of someone or something who could "breathe" into us the ability to live.

I have heard it said that you have two kinds of people or groups (you could even put the word "church" in this equation).
1.) Structure in search of life...
2.) Life in search of structure...

One has all the things in place.....but has no life to carry it out. To me that would be someone who is trying to live clean and sober outside the empowering presence of Jesus in their life.
Lot's of discipline...
Lot's of white-knuckling to stay sober..
Lot's of will power and self talk to remain on the straight and narrow.
But no life what so ever.
Self-imposed steps and disciplines, but no real freedom from the turmoil and emotional upheaval that comes with sobriety.

On the other hand, you have someone who begins the journey out of addiction by having this POWER encounter with the real-deal Jesus.
Step # 1 -  I am powerless. How do I know this? Because I cannot stop using. What's worse, knowing that I am self-destructing, and, with every use, I keep piling up more and more of negative consequences that come as a result of this behavior.....I still keep on using. The evidence of my life is that I am in need of someone greater than me and my own ability who can stop the madness.

I realize that the madness comes from within me. I am the problem, not my drugs and alcohol usage. I am the problem. SO, if I am the problem, I cannot be the solution also. I need someone greater than myself who can intervene on my behalf. Jesus!

Realizing this, I surrender..give up...quit the fight....turn over will and life to follow Him. I symbolically take up a spiritual cross to remind myself daily that I am dead to these old ways...that by dying to my own will, I have taken on a new will from this Jesus I am learning to love and follow.

Now that I have the "LIFE"....
Now that "LIFE" has been breathed into me..(the former piece of dirt)..
I now need the structure to help me stay the course.
That structure comes from the steps...
From the meetings....
From my community of fellow followers.
You could say.."from my church family".
That is what we are trying to establish on Saturday nights with Vineyard Recovery...
A place where we all bring our "LIFE" so that we can let God create structure among us.
A place to learn...
A place to grow...
A launch pad, if you will, from which we can go back out to our homes and communities and bring change to those around us.
Or, as John Wimber would say..."A place where we can go and Do the stuff!

Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday night...
Don't forget that this Saturday, Nori and Barbie Kelley and WIND will be leading the service.
Come out and let's have a party for Jesus...
You may be asking, "Can we do that? Party with Jesus?"
Well yeah!
We can!
Come and celebrate.
7 p.m. /  Vineyard Recovery.

God on you....
mb