Showing posts with label Daily devotions for addictions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daily devotions for addictions. Show all posts

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Seek peace and pursue it!

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
—Psalm 34:14
Those battling addictions understand turning from evil and doing good. Yes, it's imperative to turn away from that life and begin to live a good life--one that is filled with choices that honor God and honor yourself. 
But this verse tells us to actively seek peace and pursue it. To me, there is nothing passive here. We could casually look for peace when it seems like it fits in our schedules. But to pursue means to make it actionable - like all the time.
Thing is, what do you consider peace? After today, I would consider it "peace" if my kids would just get along for more than 5 minutes. But honestly, peace means different things I believe to what's going on in your lives.
So perhaps peace means finally accepting that you will no longer return to your addiction (and that's huge..so I'd say make some not so peaceful noise to celebrate that one). But, perhaps it means working through the steps, or making peace with others you have hurt, or after being turned away from those who choose not to forgive you..coming to peace with that. See, having peace while working through the steps will happen but it takes action. And it is hard work.
Wishing you some peace today!!

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Monday, October 9, 2017

Faith Without Action

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.  James 2:14-17

Yes, so I believe in Jesus Christ and now I'm saved. Awesome. Done. Check that off my list. Right?

Well, if that's how you want to live your life then the book of James is especially for you. The author James (who was the step-brother to Jesus) was writing to a group of people who felt that belief was enough in order to be a Christian and neglected the call to action that Jesus preached about.

Jesus preached about how many would even call Him "Lord" but not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt 7:21) as well as preaching about how faith without works is dead. Jesus says that being a Christian is not going to be easy and that a person with true saving faith is desires to do good saving works - regardless of consequences.

Let me put this in terms we can all relate to. I have a husband and wonderful children who I love so much. My love for them is so great that I desire to do things for them. That's how it is with Jesus. I love Him so much I desire to do His good works.

And our motivation for doing good works must always come into question as well. We don't do good things for others because we want recognition or something in return (we don't want to be a Pharisee). Our works must be totally out of the love we have for the Father.

Kicking an addiction will never work if we are doing it for our kids. Giving up watching porn because we think it will save our marriage will not work. Not drinking isn't going to be sustainable if we believe it will make our relationships better. Yes, those are great reasons, BUT they can't be the primary reason for sobriety. You make the choice of sobriety and act upon them because of the love you have with the Father. Good consequences will happen because of that choice.

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Sunday, September 10, 2017

Can't Is Not a Word We Say in My Household

Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Recently I posted to my Facebook friends "Can't is not a word we say in my household!" I was frustrated with my kids saying "I can't do it" to homework that was a little challenging.  I made it clear that saying the word "can't" is not an option here.

 When asked why I tried my best to answer with some trivial thing to make him get back to work, but then I did some reflecting on it - and one thought really popped out at me.  Christ had been away from his disciples and praying to his father before his arrest. He asked his father to take this heavy burden away but if it was for him to do - he would continue his father's will. What is Christ had dug in his heals and screamed "I can't do it!"?  

 I mean, where would our salvation be? I would be living a life full of sins that were burdening me down because I was never offered forgiveness. If you have begun your journey of sobriety - imagine what your life might look like if you didn't have Christ in your life. Would you even have taken that first step? Would you be able to offer forgiveness to others or ask it of them? 

 Each day, I truly try and watch what I say. I know that my words have such power and influence with my kids and I never want them to think they "can't" do anything.  But I do want them to know that with the help from Christ - anything truly is possible.

 And so, when you feel that you just "can't" do something..remember Christ in the garden praying. Ask God to take away the feelings of defeat and fill you with direction of how to accomplish the task at hand.


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Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Having the Light in Times of Darkness

Even in the darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. Psalm 112:4

Every believer must accept the fact that there are going to be times of darkness in our lives. Jesus did not come and say - follow me and your life will be easy. In fact, he told his followers that there are going to be hard times.

We all go through it. First, we decide that we can't get rid of our addiction on our own and that we need God's mercy and help. And we have those euphoric feelings inside that life is going to get better. It's almost a feeling of being high. And that's good. What a natural feeling produced by hope rather than some substance or habit that gives us that feeling.

Then things in life start to get hard again. And choices have to be made. And the pressures start squeezing in around us. What is this? Where is that feeling of immense joy and why do we feel so heavy?

When that all happens, what can we do? That's when it's time to reconnect with God. Reestablish the truth in your life that God is unchanging. The love that he has for you today is the same love that you once found when you decided to get rid of your habit, addiction or hangup. And He will love you tomorrow when life hands you a weed rather than a pretty flower.

It might seem unfair. Yup, guess what? Life is unfair. Accept that and you are past one hurdle. You can choose to move through this period of your life holding onto God's love (and yes this darkness will end) or you can revert back to old ways and create new problems and new darknesses in your life.  It truly is a choice on how you look at life.

Choose today to remain in God's love and step out of the darkness with a new strength that comes with overcoming. Choose today to walk in God's sunshine again.



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Thursday, May 11, 2017

Who are my friends?

Never abandon a friend-- either yours or your father's. When disaster strikes, you won't have to ask your brother for assistance. It's better to go to a neighbor than to a brother who lives far away. Proverbs 27:10

Who are your friends Ask yourself that. Why are they your friends? (And yes, accountability partner or sponsor count). It's because we have something in common, right. Neighbors? Parents of our kids' friends? Coworkers? Siblings?

Now ask yourself, if you needed something in an emergency, who would you ask? Now ask yourself, why would you ask them? Is it because they live close by? Or is it because they know your struggles and support you?  Whatever the answer -- it's yours to own.

But ask yourself, do you have a person like that in your life? If you answer no, then ask why? God didn't put us here to not have deep relationships.  He wants us to be with people - and therefore, it's going to be with something you have in common. You are worthy - I have no doubt in that.

Many who have an addiction feel that they are not worthy.  No one is going to want to truly love someone who has lived a life of sin? But, the first step in cultivating that deep relationship - is taking the time to get to know someone. Relationships take time but are very much worth the investment.  With a person that you feel safe, open up and tell them one thing about yourself that you think is interesting about yourself.  See where the conversation flows from there.


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Monday, May 8, 2017

Tyrone Flowers - a story of forgiveness


Tyrone Flowers - The Story


Forced into foster care at age 7 because of a dysfunctional family, Tyrone Flowers lived out a next decade of hell. His homes over the next 10 years: three different foster homes, residential treatment facilities, eight different group homes, and juvenile reformatory school.
At 17 he was dealt an even more cruel blow, leaving him handicapped and asking, “Why me?”
Yet Tyrone’s story did not end there. His self-pity turned into something else that was able to change those first 17 years into good, giving him purpose in life, and allowing him to impact the lives of others. He saw disaster changed into triumph, further reinforcing his faith and hope, and inspiring others in the process.

To see more stories about forgiveness and other hurts, visit www.iamsecond.com
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Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Perfectionism - a new way of thinking

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always woe enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.  1 Corinthians 15:58

Perfectionism is often though of simply doing the perfect job - down to every detail.  But, often there is a little more to it than that. Those who struggle with this often feel that the type of job they have must meet those standards as well. That every assignment, every person that we work with, that every promotion would be filled with high standards.

The truth is - that thinking is warped.  Let's be real - we have lots to do in life that is boring, mundane, not really rewarding BUT it's stuff that must get done. So we must change out way of thinking and not believe that we have to have the "perfect" job all the time. But by realizing and accepting that not every job will be filled with recognition, not every job will be rewarding, not every task will be challenging will we start to achieve satisfaction in what we do in life.  We will start to appreciate life more.

As the verse says above, we must remember that everything we do in life is important. And because of that, we must strive to do them all well.


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Monday, March 20, 2017

Seek God All the Time

Joyce Meyer's Ministries

Seek God All the Time

by Joyce Meyer - posted March 18, 2013

Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you. —Matthew 7:7
In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast to show his sincerity to God. Missing a few meals and taking that time to seek God is not a bad idea. Turning the television off and spending the time you would normally spend watching it with God is not a bad idea either. Stay home a few evenings and spend extra time with the Lord instead of going out with your friends and repeating your problem over and over to them. These things and others show that we know hearing from God is vital.
I have learned the word seek means to pursue, crave, and go after with all your might. In other words, we act like a starving man in search of food to keep us alive. I would also like to add that we need to seek God all the time not just when we are in trouble. Once God spoke to me that the reason so many people had problems all the time was because that was the only time they would seek Him. He showed me that if He removed the problems, He would not get any time with the people. He said, "Seek Me as if you were desperate all the time and then you won't find yourself desperate as often in reality." I think this is good advice, and I highly recommend that we all follow it.

From the book New Day, New You by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2006 by Joyce Meyer. Published by InProv. All rights reserved.

-- I have got to say this one hit me as I was just posting the one yesterday about Jesus and wanting his love and to be filled by it.  And it dawned on me that I can only be filled with his love if I ask for it - and I can only be asking for it if I am taking time to seek Him. Let's do as Joyce suggests and shut off the TV or stay in one night that we would normally go out and spend time in the Word and in prayer.  Let's make this a habit and I am sure we will see our lives transformed.


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Monday, March 13, 2017

A Glimpse of Glory


Perhaps by now you are seeing a trend in this week's devotionals...yes they are all about praising Him!
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. - Colossians 3:1
Praise is the outward expression of your deep joy! We praise God in worship on Sunday morning. We praise our team when they do well at sporting events. We praise our kids when they achieve a goal or do something special. 
Isn’t cheering someone’s success and accomplishments an invigorating experience? You’ll find the same energy within  your spiritual life when you consider the mighty acts of God in history, as well as His acts in your own life.  It will allow you to celebrate the joy and wonder of your relationship with Jesus Christ.
Praise not only is an expression of your joy in the Lord, but it also gives you a taste of what heaven will be like. If you read the last book of the Bible, Revelation, you’ll see what I mean. There’s a lot of praise and worship going on. I think God wants us to learn that praiseful attitude in this life, in preparation for the next. 
Few things will strengthen your faith more than when you cultivate a rich understanding of God through worship.  Praise him by remembering his faithfulness to you throughout your years and by looking forward to his promises.  When you worship him, your faith will be strengthened, your heart encouraged, and your vision of who God is and how he works will grow.
“Praise now is one of the great duties of the redeemed. It will be their employment forever.” -Albert Barnes (1798-1870)
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Sunday, March 12, 2017

It's Better Together


"Praise the Lord from the earth... young men and maidens, old men and children." —Psalm 148:7,12
“Would you look at this?! Isn’t it wonderful?” My co-worker Angela always beckons me away from my desk at the end of the day whenever a beautiful sunset emblazons above the coastal hills by our office. She simply must share her joy with others. That’s the nature of praise, isn’t it? 
When we consider some aspect of life praiseworthy, we simply must have others join in. Whether it’s a sunset, a baby’s smile, a beautiful new painting we just hung in the living room, our delight is multiplied when others enjoy that special something with us. 
That’s why, according to C. S. Lewis, the writers of the Psalms keep encouraging us, the readers, to join them in praising the Lord. They are saying, “Look, I just have to show you... God is so great, you just have to praise him with me.” Lewis also said: “I used to think of praise in terms of giving a compliment or approval or the giving of honor. But it’s more than that. We praise the things we value, the things we enjoy. It’s a spontaneous overflow. We can’t help but praise what we value.” 
I love Jesus. I enjoy and value the Lord Jesus. And, yes, my delight in praising him is an expression of what I feel. But also, when I praise him, the joy is more complete if others join in. It’s the nature of praise. 
Find some aspect of nature — the texture of the tree trunk in the backyard or a Blue Jay’s brilliant feathers — and then rejoice in it with someone else. Consider together some glorious aspect of God. Maybe his mighty work in creation will come to mind. Or his attention to details. Or his infinite array of colors in creation. The point is to praise him with someone else. 
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Thursday, March 9, 2017

Praying Friends


Praying Friends from Our Daily Bread

 by Anne Cetas


I met my friend Angie for lunch after having not seen her for several months. At the end of our time together, she pulled out a piece of paper with notes from our previous get-together. It was a list of my prayer requests she had been praying for since then. She went through each one and asked if God had answered yet or if there were any updates. And then we talked about her prayer requests. How encouraging to have a praying friend!
The apostle Paul had a praying relationship with the churches he served, including the one at Thessalonica. He thanked God for the faith, love, and hope of the people (1 Thess. 1:2-3). He longed to see them, and asked God “night and day” that he might be able to visit them again (3:10-11). He requested that the Lord would help them “increase and abound in love to one another and to all” (v.12). He also prayed that their hearts would be blameless before God (v.13). They must have been encouraged as they read about Paul’s concern and prayers for them. Paul knew too his own need for God’s presence and power and pleaded, “Brethren, pray for us” (5:25).
Loving Father, thank You for wanting us to talk with You. Teach us all to be praying friends.
I need the prayers of those I love
While traveling on life’s rugged way,
That I may true and faithful be,
And live for Jesus every day. —Vaughn
The best kind of friend is a praying friend.

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Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Finding Strength

Immediately after praying to God to save Israel, Isaiah described Israel's distress: the Asyrians rejected their petition for peace, Lebanon was destroyed, and the plains of Sharon resembled a wilderness.

Isaiah's trust in God never faltered, he believed God's promises that He would preserve Israel and deliver His people. Because of this Isaiah could pray with confidence, "Be our strength every morning,our salvation in times of distress. 

Like Isaiah, we can depend on God in times of distress and trouble. Call on Him in such times and feel the strength, that only can come from God, descend on you.

Oh Lord, be gracious to us; we long for You. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in times of distress. Isaiah 33:2

Grace for each Moment

-- the key here is believing God's promises. When we believe, we will feel his strength each morning. Today's devotion reminds me of a hymn. Great is thy faithfulness. Powerful lyrics. If you have a moment go visit and read them. Trust me - you will be blessed.

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/19

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Sunday, February 5, 2017

The Lord is our Shepard

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.
Those of us who belong to The Lord know we are safe and secure. We know for certain that The Lord is our Shepard and therefore we do not fear the future because our Shepard is already there. He will walk before us every day, leading us to our eternal destination.
Sometimes we have doubts about the future. We wonder whether we will have enough to provide for our essential needs. With childlike certainty, the psalmist then tells us, “I shall not be in want.” You shall not be in want of anything that you truly need and that is good for you. The Lord will hear you when you call, because His love never changes.
Grace for Each Moment
I have go to admit that I am a worrier. Honestly I know where I get it from and it’s something I diligently work at each day. I’ve learned to separate wants versus needs. And as I tell my kids, God always provides what we need. Sometimes it’s not in a form that I would have liked - but I’m not in charge. And the thing I’ve come to appreciate is that my wants have become less for 2 reasons. First, I’ve come to appreciate what truly is needed to live a Godly life. And second, because I really just want more of Him. And that gets me through my day.


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Sunday, January 15, 2017

Totally Authentic

In his kindness God called you to share in his external glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and will place you on a firm foundation. 1 Peter 5:10

Being a totally authentic person is absolutely frightening for some us. It means we can’t hide behind a fantasy to guard our heart [or to deal with life]. It might mean becoming transparent, which means putting away the status; the piety; [the allusion of striving for the perfect life that doesn’t exist, putting away the booze, the drugs, the pornography]. It means we have to forfeit the props so that the real character can be known.
Are you ready for your true self to be restored? I hope you consider [coming to the party as you are- as God made you]?
— for those suffering in the torment of dealing with life by using drugs, alcohol, viewing porn, taking crazy risks, caring for others to ones own demise- let it go! Be yourself! God will restore you, support you, and strengthen you..but only if you let Him.



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Friday, December 30, 2016

Living a "Faith Life"

Is faith a living reality in your life?
Faith becomes real when you feel that you are triumphant and completely in control of your own life through God's Holy Spirit, which resides in you and enables you to conquer all circumstances.

It is true that salvation is God's liberating deed of grace towards mankind. However, it does not release you from the responsibility to accept Him with both your spirit and your intellect.

Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.


Grace for each Moment
Feb 21

-- being in control of your life doesn't mean that you have recovery licked. I believe it means you take responsibility of your choices. We are all bound to make mistakes - and lots of them. But with faith we can truly believe that God is with us on our recovery journey and has plans for us. Plans to prosper us and not harm us. So celebrate your good choices but don't beat yourself up over your bad ones. Forgive yourself and move on. God doesn't keep score!!

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