Approved by faith..

Then Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD regarded that faith to be his approval of Abram.Genisis 15:6

It was Abram's faith, not his works that earned him God's approval.Continuation in recovery requires us to trust God more than we trust our ability to do good works.We are all powerless over the pressure of sin, but God can help us with everything if we trust Him. Like Abram, He will approve of us because of our trust in Him, not because we are perfect.

Do you believe?

1 John 5:10 Whoever believes in the Son of God inwardly confirms God's testimony. Whoever refuses to believe in effect calls God a liar, refusing to believe God's own testimony regarding his Son.

When we are caught up in addiction and compulsion we have selective belief. We believe what justifies our using.

Yesterday's post was about sharing what God is doing through testimony. Testimonies, like addictions and compulsions can be used to justify us.

We must be truthful when sharing with others the things God has done otherwise we can lead them the wrong way with good intentions.

Our scripture today tells us if we believe inwardly we confirm the testimony of God. More importantly we must also believe inwardly in our own testimonies in order to be the people God calls us to be.

Share what God is doing!

Jonah entered the city and walked for about a day. Then he said, “In forty days Nineveh will be destroyed.”The people of Nineveh believed God. They decided to fast, and everyone, from the most important to the least important, dressed in sackcloth. Jonah 3:4-5

If we simply acknowledge what God has and is doing in our lives we ay be surprised how many people and who might listen. When we first arrive in recovery we want to keep what we are learning and what is happening to ourselves. Sometime from embarassment that we are now relying on God and not on ourselves. Sometime from selfishness and fear 'if we share it we will lose it'.

But God wants us to share what He is doing in and through us with others. There are people whom He is bringing into our lives so we can 'make a difference' for in their lives bt introducing them to personal relationship with Him.

Who are we that we should prevent someone from having the opportunity to experience God's love for themselves?

We need friends

Proverbs 27:10 Never abandon a friend.

Friends are an important recovery resource. We all need people we can be honest with, knowing they won't abandon us. People who will stick by is in times of crisis. We should also be there for them when they need us. Friends are our own support network in recovery. The people who have our best interest at heart.

Spiritual preparation is active

Therefore, be alert, because you don’t know on what day your Lord will return.Matthew 24:42

God asks us to spend time taking care of His people and doing His work both in recovery and outside it. Living responsibly makes others want what we have. Telling our story is good spiritual preparation for God to use us outside of recovery in influencing others for Him.

No shame on change.

Isaiah 50:7 Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame.

We are encouraged to persevere in recovery because God is close to us, defending us. As we grow others with whom we are in relationship may become uncomfortable with the changes they see in us. They may even oppose the changes. It is important that we stand firm in our resolve to follow God and not be ashamed of the people we are becoming through relationship with Him. We will triumph because God is on our side. (Isaiah 50:9)

God's escape plan!

Exodus 14:13 Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today.

Moses had a positive attitude. When his people were hostile and despairing he encouraged them to stop! watch! and wait on God! As we move forward in recovery we are chased by many things from our past and can feel trapped by them, instead of giving on to despair, we should adopt Moses' attitude to 'stand firm' and watch as God opens up His escape plans to us.

Helpful Affirmation

1 Corinthians 1:4 I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.

It is important in recovery for us to have an accountability partner. That person needs to be someone who will give us helpful affirmation. Acknowledging what we are doing right, as well as areas where we may be struggling.

If we are in the position of being that person for another and we have to point out areas of concern we should always lead with what God has already accomplished in them.

Comfort in Trials

Isaiah 40:1 “Comfort, comfort my people,”
says your God.

When your life seems to be falling apart, ask God to comfort you. You may not escape pain and suffering but to may find God's comfort as you go through it. Appreciate the comfort and encouragement found in God's word, His presence and His people.

Warning Signs

Isaiah 8:18 I stand my ground and hope,
I and the children GOD gave me as signs to Israel, Warning signs and hope signs from GOD- of- the- Angel- Armies.

All of us receive 'warning signs' things are not right on our lives. When we do we need to take notice of them. Denial of the truth can be disastrous. When we are honest with ourselves and others we can see what we are doing wrong and with God's help make it right.

Honesty breedsTrust

James 5:12 brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.

If we have constantly lied it will be difficult to get others to believe we have changed based on our word alone. But, we must continue honestly on recovery.

Through commitment to recovery and honesty others will believe what has occurred in and through and come to see us as trustworthy people.

Live a disciplined life.

1 Corinthians 9:24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!

The essential disciplines of prayer, studying God's word and worship equip us to grow with vigor and stamina. Don't just watch others seek and obtain lasting recovery through personal relationship with God. Don't begin recovery and give up before you experience the joy and peace God has in store for you. Live a disciplined, intentional life of recovery.

Your spiritual progress depends on it.

If things are moving to slow - just let go

Matthew 10:39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

The only way to find life and get control of it is to submit to God. Living for self will enslave us in destructive attitudes and behaviours. By turning to God we allow Him to cleanse our past and show us a way forward to future success. As we obey Him we will find meaning.

Respect one another

Proverbs 19:11 Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.

We are not in control of others. Sometimes behaviour we don't agree with displayed by others can cause us to be disrespectful or unkind.

In recovery we will come across all sorts of people in all sorts of circumstances. We need to learn to look upon them, regardless of their condition or circumstances as fellow travellers on the road to recovery. We must show them the same love and respect that God and others have shown to us. Be kind to them as we grow together spiritually.

Let God Lead

Psalms 25:9 He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way.

When we come into recovery we set our lives on a totally different direction than we are used to. Learning to think differently, act differently and live differently is not easy for most of us. Following God's plan requires us to live lives that are responsive and obedient to His word. Are you ready to let God lead?

The Golden Rule

Matthew 7:12 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

Recovery is for everybody. We need to welcome everyone who is honestly struggling with their problems. The Bible calls us to treat others how we want them to treat us.

Confess sin rather than excuse it.

It is easier to blame others or our circumstances for our wrong doings. Trying to excuse sin rather than confess it is just avoiding responsibility for our actions and attitudes. God wants us to display rigorous honesty on recovery. To do so we must become willing to confess our sin, accept responsibility for our wrongs and ask God for forgiveness.

James 1:13-14 remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me. ” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.

Misunderstood

1 Timothy 3:16 Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough: He appeared in a human body,
was proved right by the invisible Spirit,
was seen by angels. He was proclaimed among all kinds of peoples, believed in all over the world, taken up into heavenly glory.

Jesus Christ was misunderstood and misread. He was not only a perfect Man, but perfect God. He was incarnate goodness. If we esteem Him highly and properly we will want to imitate Him. Self effort alone will not be enough in this task. It is only possible to achieve Christ likeness by receiving the Holy Spirit into our very being.

In recovery we to will find ourselves misunderstood and misread. The Good News for us is God understands all about us and He will supply everything we need to become the people He created us to be.

Believe what the Bible says

Romans 8:1 With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being- here- for- us no longer have to live under a continuous, low- lying black cloud.

It is necessary for personal relationship with God that we believe what the Word of God says. We can take to heart His promises and be relieved of that black cloud that has been troubling us.

Faith on God gives us a sense of freedom we have never experienced before.

Never Give Up

2 Corinthians 4:16-17 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

Sometimes we are tempted to give up on people or situations that have not changed for a long time. God can change the unchangeable, giving new purpose and hope.

Learn from opposition

Luke 10:3 Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.

Evil forces are always working against us. Uncertainty is one of Satan's favorite tools. We are sent by God into situations where we are like lambs among wolves. In these situations God wants us to stand firm and be committed to the task at hand . We will be victorious if we constantly depend on God.

What is the source of your confidence?

We can be confident of victory only if we put our trust in God and not in ourselves. Because God places such value on us we need never fear personal threats or difficult trials. God will supply all we need to overcome. Expect some negative reaction to your recovery and remember to be more concerned about serving God and others than we are with the negative reactions. We are on a new path. God's path to recovery.

2 Corinthians 1:10 He rescued us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.

God is our helper.

Psalms 121:2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

Romans 10:14 But how can I call on him to save me unless I believe in him? And how can I believe in him if I have never heard about him? And how can I hear about him unless someone tells me about Him?

Nahum 1:7 The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.

God alone gives us victory.

God watches over us day and night.

God guards us against threats of destruction in our recovery.

God is our helper!

Put yourself in God's hands!

2 Samuel 16:5-8 As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out of the village cursing them. It was Shimei son of Gera, “Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel! ” he shouted at David. “The Lord is paying you back for all the bloodshed in Saul’s clan. You stole his throne, and now the Lord has given it to your son Absalom. At last you will taste some of your own medicine, for you are a murderer! ”

For thirty years of successful, sacrificial leadership David got stones and curses. But He put himself in God's hands, trusting that God would do what was right. As we experience failure in life we to need to put ourselves in God's hands believing He will always do what is best for us.

Who is your Master?

Amos 8:4-6 Listen to this, you who rob the poor and trample down the needy! You can’t wait for the Sabbath day to be over and the religious festivals to end so you can get back to cheating the helpless. You measure out grain with dishonest measures and cheat the buyer with dishonest scales. And you mix the grain you sell with chaff swept from the floor. Then you enslave poor people for one piece of silver or a pair of sandals.

We must decide who our master will be. God who offers eternal life and peace or money and material possessions.

Resist Temptation

Stay awake, and pray that you won’t be tempted. You want to do what’s right, but you’re weak. Matthew 26:41

Stumbling in recovery is normal and can be character building. At first we may stumble a lot, but as we grow we stronger. As we get stronger the frequency of stumbling lessens. Eventually we are able to resist temptation and be transformed from weakling to people of strong character.

When you stumble remember you have not failed. Failure only occurs when you give up on recovery and stop trying to change.

I remember a time whilst on the 'Bridge Programme' in 1988 I drank. We had gone as a group to Strathalbyn and three of us went to the local pub. I knew it was wrong, but did it anyway. After 2 or 3 drinks I stopped and went back to the programme. The other 2 guys didn't. A counsellor on the programme knew I had drank but really didn't want to go back to that life and gave me a chance.As a result I am still sober today, living God's plan for my life. The other two guys? Who knows .........

Work the steps - THEY WORK!!

"Blessed are those whose disobedience is forgiven and whose sins are pardoned. Blessed is the person whom the Lord no longer considers sinful.” Romans 4:7-8

Each of the steps we take in recovery are an act of faith. As we faithfully work each step we experience God's forgivenss and joy.

The LORD says,“I will instruct you.I will teach you the way that you should go.I will advise you as my eyes watch over you.Psalm 32:8

God is essential

God is essential in recovery in our lives. If you remove Him from the twelve steps you are life with one. Admittance you have a problem and life is unmanageable. All of us need to accept responsfor the things we have done in the past, Then, turn to God for forgiveness and restoration.

Psalm 69: 5-8 God, you know my stupidity,and the things of which I am guilty are not hidden from you. Do not let those who wait with hope for you be put to shame because of me, O Almighty LORD of Armies.Do not let those who come to you for help be humiliated because of me, O God of Israel. Indeed, for your sake I have endured insults.Humiliation has covered my face.I have become a stranger to my own brothers,a foreigner to my mother’s sons.