James 5:16
Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
I was the old guy.
I was the old guy seated at the table surrounded by a group of men.
A group that has found life in this journey we are all on.
Sharing their struggles...
Sharing their failures...
Celebrating their triumphs.
One told the group that he was frustrated and angry because of trying to help someone who really didn't want help...just wanted to be taken care of. Trying to help someone who wanted to be enabled...who wanted pity and sympathy more than freedom from his addiction.
Another shared that, as a single father, he realized his kids were the anchor for his life, and the thought of them eventually moving away was scary to him. Having his children live with him seem to give him a greater purpose in his own personal life.
One shared how life seemed to always find a way to throw up road blocks and point of stumbling that seem to trip him up at every turn. This brought up anger over some situations he faced over the past weekend. As he stated.."At least I didn't kill anybody". That's kind of a code for "I didn't act on my anger"..not that he would have killed..he wouldn't. But still the realization that his anger had the potential to take him to a place that was dangerous is thing he understood, that he needed to work on how he expresses his anger.
You see, what happened at that table is one of the simplest, yet most powerful tools we have been given to combat our the tug of our old sin/nature.
Talking.....
What? Are you serious?
Yes...talking. Sharing and confessing to one another so that there remains no secrets that have power over us.
Did you not see what the verse from James 5 said?
"Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another THAT YOU MAY BE HEALED!"
The simple act of sharing and then receiving prayer is a means to receive healing deep inside. Surely God doesn't really mean this....I think maybe He does.
This act of confessing also helps me to be accountable to those around me.
Me, hearing others confess, gives me an opportunity to help someone else who is struggling. I don't know...call me dumb...but maybe....just maybe that is why recovery groups are referred to as "FELLOWSHIPS". We're all in the same boat. Get it? Ships...boats....oh, well..so much for being witty.
Find a group that you can be a part of.
Give of yourself to this group as you become a part of them.
Share...
Talk...
Get prayed for...
Pray for those in your group...
There is healing and life.
God on you...
mbb
No comments:
Post a Comment