A statement of fact.....
Those who choose to turn will and live over to the care of Christ are the recipients of the very things that will be needed to navigate life this side of heaven.
What is one of the hallmarks of addiction? Fear....
Fear of failure...
Fear of being discovered and uncovered....
Fear of being alone....
Fear of the future...
Fear of the past...
And fear of what might happen today.
Pour all of this into one individual and you've got yourself someone on the run looking to score so they can check out and not have to deal with "life".
So what's the answer?
Well, in this relationship that we enter into when we saved, a great trade off begins.
Oh it isn't marked by angels singing or the heavens parting, but it is very much real and a part of a daily work that God does in us.
As we throw ourselves into chasing this new life in Christ, we begin to study and read the Bible....
We begin to talk to God, as well as listen for what He has to say to us.
We start to "catch" old ways of thinking and cut them off before they have time to lodge in our brains and draw us back into the old ways of living and using.
In other words, we are being changed on the inside, and our outward behavior begins to reveal this new truth we've found.
II Timothy 1:7 in the amplified Bible reads as follows:
God did not give us a spirit of timidity. That is, a spirit of cowardice, and craven, cringing fear. He has given, or provided and made possible a spirit of Power and of love. He has given to us a spirit of calmness and a well balanced mind which is disciplined and one of self control.
In other words, we are truly changed from the inside out. Now, lets look at the opposite of this verse.
Without God, we are left to the dictates and control of the devil. He has given us a spirit of fear. He provides and makes possible for all who reject God a spirit of weakness and apathy (or indifference). The devil provides us with a spirit of chaos and a mind which is swept up and swept along by the flood of thoughts to use......we experience a lift that is out of control.
Isn't it weird how we are convinced that all the chaos and turmoil we are going through is natural and something everyone experiences. That the solution to our problem is to get high or drunk...to run away and not think about whatever we are struggling with.
Yet God, in His infinite wisdom, comes along and says, "Hey...guess what? Life is hard. Life is full of questions and responsibilities. Why not let me equip you to navigate through whatever life hands to you?" This is why I'm so hyped by recovery/ salvation! It is a gift offered to everyone, by God, to experience something that you'll never have when you under the influence of whatever your D.O.C. is.
It's all right there waiting for you to open and receive. The ultimate Christmas gift ever given. I can tell you with all truth and sincerity of heart that today can be the last day you have to live in that old darkness and way of life. All you have to do is:
Step # 1 --- admit your powerlessness over your life and your ability to control your using.
Tell God all about it. How sick you really are for having to live this way.
Tell Him about how you've lied to those you love. Used them to get money. How you've hurt them.
By doing this, you have moved into Step #2-- You have come to believe that Jesus is the Higher Power that you've been searching for. He is the one who will lead you out of this nightmare.
Finally, make the commitment! Turn your will and your life over to His care. Acknowledge that He knows better than you what is needed to navigate life. The Biblical term for this action is called "Making Jesus your Lord and Savior".
Don't measure what you're doing by your feelings....
Just receive it by faith, or the belief that Jesus is who He claims to be and will do what He has promised to do.
Sounds simple, doesn't it?
Maybe it is....
Maybe it is as simple as it sounds.
Merry Christmas from the "B's" in Attalla....
God on you...
mb
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