Have you praised Him?
Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?
Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?
1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)
1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.
Today’s DISPATCH is a little “recovery flavored.” But you non-recovery folks, stick with it. There is a little something for you too at the end.
I was with a fella on Tuesday who was “wanting to quit” his “dime a day” obsession with marijuana. I believed him but it led me to some questions…
“What is your motivation when it comes to recovery?
Have you decided to change because you know you ‘can’t’ continue to live the way you have been living…
Or…
Is the JOB testing you more frequently?
Wife harping change or else?
Is there a consequence looming because of the weed?”
After he “sort of” answered the questions, I then asked him a tougher one for he was a believer; in fact a reference from another Pastor.
I asked, “Or has GOD begun to influence and impact your life so that your recovery is more about being obedient and in alignment with what HE wants for your life and recovery rather than fear of consequence?”
To put it another way, “Have you embraced this walk of recovery out of fear of the consequences or due to outside pressure, or have you begun to experience the blessings of obedience and instead want that for your life?”
The truth is that most recovery usually begins on the fear side of the coin.
“I can’t smoke because my husband/wife told me not too. I can’t use because I am being drug tested. I can’t do this because I will put probation at risk.”
So often we do our best to "get in line", and behave differently because we “don’t want the trouble.”
But as we begin to embrace a recovery founded on Jesus and inspired by truth, we begin to learn that trusting and OBEYING GOD offers so much more!
In fact, when we recover with OBEDIENCE as our motivator we discover that we are kept safe from the harsh repercussions we deeply fear. And by continuing in a GOD-focused recovery, our fear is replaced by recognition of God’s blessings, His love for us and His passion to see us through the challenge!
It is the reason STEP 3 tells us to SUBMIT to GOD’S WILL for our lives as the key to recovery.
Why?
Because by following God’s will our focus shifts from “disobedience’s consequences to obedience’s blessings!”
Romans 6:21-23 (MSG)
...now that you've found you don't have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God's gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.
You see friends, once we taste the best GOD has to offer, we will want to keep good flowing into our lives. Obedience and God’s best are natural partners — good derives from following divine commands...
And as we become more aware of how blessing follows obedience, we realize that complying with the Lord’s will is a very wise choice. It is then we move from “I can’t do that because” RECOVERERS to “I choose NOT to do that because” RECOVERERS.
Now for my “non-recovery friends” this message is for you as well.
Is there a sin in your life that know you “can’t do” for fear of consequence? Come on be honest. You secretly wish you could “keep doing it” if you knew there were no repercussions.
Step away from that sort of forced compliance. Instead, follow GOD’s best for your life. Don't "listen to sin tell you what to do". Instead experience the blessings of obedience and break free from consequential conformity!
Obedience always brings blessing (Life Principle #21) – Charles Stanley.
I love you all.
Freedom Church
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