May 17, 2009:
Life is like a game of tennis....The one who "serves" well, seldom loses. Go to any bookstore and you'll find hundreds of books that claim to show you how to get ahead in life. And as you look through them you'll find that many contain a common principle. "If you want to lead, you must learn to serve. Promotion comes through service to others."
What these modern success gurus have discovered has been in the Bible all along. Jesus said, "He who would be the greatest among you must be the servant of all." Service. It's an identifying mark of a person serious about their recovery.
One of the important steps in recovery is serving others, make the most of the opportunity and begin to serve in Celebrate Recovery and the church where you attend.
Scripture for Meditation: Galatians 5:13,14
May 13, 2009:
Few people achieve the level of success in recovery of which they are capable. Why? Because they lack a vital ingredient, "purpose." It has been said, "The secret of success is constancy of purpose." In recovery that statement will keep you focused until you experience a breakthrough. The real key is to keep on going, because there are more coming. One of the saddest things I have heard recently, is a person relating to another how they had expressed things they had never shared with anyone before, and how good it felt. Here is the sad part, not returning to recovery.
In Philippians 2:2, we are commanded to be "united in spirit, intent on one purpose." Discover God's purpose for your life then pursue it single-mindedly. It will make you a winner in every area of life.
Scriptures for Meditation: Luke 21:19 and Philippians 2:1-4
April 25, 2009:
The great evangelist Dwight L. Moody once said, "Character is what you are in the dark." One of the major differences between those who have a form of success and those who truly are working thru their recovery is character. You can't build a life of sobriety without strong personal character, otherwise you will find yourself shifting addictive behavior or addictions.
That means being the kind of person who does the right thing, when doing the right thing is the hardest thing to do. The rewards of strong character are great. Proverbs 2:7 says, "God is a shield to those who walk in integrity." Character. It's one of the identifying marks of a person who is serious about recovery.
Scriptures for Meditation: Joshua 1:8,9; Luke 21:19; Romans 15:4-6
April 8, 2009:
"Nothing can take the place of perseverance. Talent will not—nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Education will not—the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' will always solve the problems of the human race."
The Bible speaks about perseverance in Galatians 6:9. It says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Perseverance. It's one of the identifying marks of successful person on the road to recovery.
Scriptures for Meditation: 2 Timothy 2:15 and 1 Timothy 4:15,16
March 28, 2009:
For some people, doors of opportunity always seem to swing open wide. Their relationships tend to be mutual pathways of blessing and whatever they set their hand to prospers. It's not luck these people are exhibiting—it's favor—and it's something God bestows on those who put themselves in a position to qualify. In recovery it’s being on the right road.
The fifth Psalm says, "For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield." Imagine carrying an invisible shield of goodwill wherever you go. God's word of recovery for you today is "favor."
Scriptures for Meditation: Acts 2:47 and 1 Samual 2:26
March 22, 2009:
In a recent book on stress, Doctor Richard Swenson said, "No people in the history of humankind has ever had to live with the stressors we have acting upon us today." We're living in an age in which fear, anxiety and pressure are moment-by-moment realities for most people. In recovery it includes all, regardless of the hurt, hang-up or habit.
The good news is, it's possible to live each day with something the Bible calls "peace." It's a peace that the book of Philippians says defies our ability to explain or understand. The things that you talk about you give life or power to. You can live in the eye of the hurricane of life. God's recovery word for you today is "love life.”
Scripture for Meditation: 1 Peter 3:10-12a
March 15, 2009:
When the place God has you begins to feel uncomfortable or threatening where do you find yourself wanting to go? Is it back to where you came from? Do you want to venture out to find something new? What do you do in times of confusion?
In Jeremiah 42 God's people find themselves in this situation. God gives them the direction to stay in the land where he has planted them and he promises to build them up, plant and not up root them, to save, deliver, and restore them! He also warns them that if they choose to move on to another land "the sword they fear will overtake them."
Stay on track with God! Stay in the land he has planted you and see the goodness of the Lord.
Scripture for Meditation: Jeremiah 42:8-16
March 11, 2009:
A popular song in the '80s asked, "What's love got to do with it?" A lot of people ask the same question when it comes to growing in a relationship or recovery. They ask it because they don't understand the Bible definition of love. Of all the concepts in the English language, none is so overused and under-comprehended as "love."
When the Bible encourages us to love others, it's not talking about a syrupy, emotion. It's talking about the willingness to give sacrificially. That's why love is a key element in recovery and growing in a relationship filled with trust.
Question to ask, "Are you doing more taking than giving in your relationships and recovery?"
Scriptures for Meditation: John 15:12-14 and 1 John 4:7,8
February 28, 2009:
Many people settle for a level of relational recovery much lower than their potential, simply because of fear. They fail to seek new relationships or deepen the ones they have because of fear of rejection or fear of self-disclosure.
James F. Bell, founder of General Mills once said, "Fear is an insidious virus. Given a breeding place in our minds, it will permeate the whole body and eat away our spirit and block the forward path of our endeavors." This echoes a truth we find throughout the Bible.
My question of the day for you is, "Are you allowing fear to block your progress in cultivating relationships and thus your growth in recovery?"
Scriptures for Meditation: 2 Timothy 1:7-9 and 1 John 4:17-19
February 25, 2009:
One key in recovery is forgetting what lies behind. It's one of the principles for living modeled by the apostle Paul. He tells us he is, "...forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead...." Paul had the wisdom to know it was impossible for him to go forward while dwelling in the past.
The same is true for you. If you're going to walk in the lifestyle God wants you to experience, you're going to have to turn loose of the past. That means letting go of the hurts, hang-ups, habits, and even the past victories.
Are you letting your past keep you from experiencing a healthy future?
Scripture for Meditation: Philippians 3:10-14
February 15, 2009:
Perhaps you've heard an athlete whose team has just lost say something like this: "They just wanted it more than we did." There's a powerful truth at the heart of that statement. In the end, victory usually comes, not to the one with the most talent, but rather the one with the most desire. In recovery, when desire surpasses the hurt, habit or hang-up, you are well on the road to the dreams God has put in your heart.
Experience shows that success is due less to ability than to zeal. In the Bible, the power of desire to fuel achievement (recovery) is consistently stated.
Scriptures for Meditation: Mark 11:24, Psalms 19:9-10 and Psalms 21:1-4
February 11, 2009:
On the road to recovery we hopefully discover keys to winning in life, God's way. And some of the best advice I've ever read on the subject was written by the apostle Paul from a Roman prison more than 19 centuries ago.
It's a book in the Bible called Philippians. Paul experienced many tough times in his life...more hardship than most of us will ever see. But he never lived "under" his circumstances. He knew God's principles for living above them.
My question for you is, "Have you discovered Paul’s keys to freedom?"
Scriptures for Meditation: The book of Philippians (only 4 chapters). Try to read it in one sitting - you will be blessed.
