Haggai 1:5
This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies says, "Look at what is happening to you!"
Been parked in the book of Haggai all week....
Not really a book that I've spent a lot of time in before, but it surprised me as to how much it deals with human behavior and the willingness to give up when things get hard.
We loose momentum in our recovery when we run into situations that are easily dealt with.
We allow ourselves to make bad choices when we are confronted with circumstances that nip and pull at us in a negative way.
Tomorrow night, I'm going to be teaching from the book of Haggai on this very topic...."Loosing Momentum". Bottom line in this teaching is the simple fact that when we face obstacles to God's plan for us, it is easy to get sidetracked. It is very tempting to follow the way of least resistance, or as the big book of A.A. states so plainly..."We look for the easier softer way."
It is easier to recognize problems when they pop up that it is to do something about them. Every one who choose to follow the path to sobriety, a new life, and a relationship with God, must take active steps.
Life is about action....
Not analyzing till your paralyzed.
We can have wonderful plans thought out in our minds, but they mean nothing until we take the first step to make them a reality. There is something very powerful about taking that first step toward this new life, free from the bondage of addiction. That first step requires something that we might not even realize. To take that first step requires faith. Faith in a power greater than yourself that can restore you to sanity and a new way of living. Faith is the action of belief. Faith is the fuel that moves us forward away from the old life.
I love the story in Luke 5 about the man who was paralyzed and was brought to Jesus. We're not told if this was his idea, or the men who brought him on a stretcher. It doesn't matter..what matters is that these men were determined to get their friend healed. The encountered problem after problem when they arrived on the scene where Jesus was teaching. But they faced each problem one at a time until their friend was laying at the feet of Jesus. Verse 20 of Luke Chapter 5 reads.....Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, "Young man, your sins are forgiven." Did you catch that....These men had expended themselves and risked everything to come before Jesus so their friend could be healed. Jesus took notice of this. Why? Because these men operated from the assumption that if they could get near Jesus, their request for healing would be granted. That is faith. But faith isn't something we keep in our pockets like spare change or car keys. Car keys are worth nothing unless taken our, put in the ignition and turned so the engine would start. Such is faith. It isn't worth anything unless it is take out, and exercised in the direction of the one who can change us.
I guess what a friend of mine said once about recovery is true.
You are not going to change until you're sick and tired of being sick and tired.
You have the "faith keys" right now. Scripture says that unto each man is given a measure of faith. I guess the question is, "What are you going to do with your measure?"
God on you...
michael b.
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