Have you thanked Him?
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)
The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.
Last night I was privileged to share our vision for CHAMPIONS and “community” with a group of concerned folks in Fairborn, Ohio Fairborn
It was a very productive and encouraging night!
In fact, I am pleased to announce that First United Methodist of Fairborn will be joining the Champion’s team in AUGUST!
Praise the LORD for Pastor Aaron and his team!
Yet it was during the presentations/discussion that one of my dear friends, a true light in our community and probably one of the smartest mental health and recovery professionals I have ever worked with Chris P., made this statement when emphasizing the criticality for folks in recovery to EMBRACE and ENGAGE healthy communities!
He commented that, “Nature abhors a vacuum.”
After doing a little digging this morning these were the words of ancient philosopher Aristotle.
Aristotle based his conclusion on the observation that nature requires every space to be filled with something, even if that something is colorless, odorless air.
Chris went on to share that one of the primary challenges for those in recovery is to FILL their lives with healthy alternatives after they experience sobriety or clean-time.
We often have dear people embrace treatment for their addictions, but because that treatment typically occurs in the context of a vacuum, they struggle when the treatment ends. For as we treat them we work diligently to remove the unhealthy things, the addictions, that have “filled the vacuum” for so long. Yet once treatment has ended, more times than not our recovering folks return to OLD PEOPLE, OLD PLACES and OLD THINGS; in others words, OLD VACUUM “FILLERS”.
And sadly they fall prey to the addiction again.
A big part of why we have spent this year raising awareness and starting small groups in our churches and connecting them to our community, social and Christian networks is because we desire to provide “healthy, spirit-filled “FILLING” for those seeking deliverance and recovery from addiction challenges.
Continue to pray for our efforts. We have a busy close to the summer!
But this challenge is not just for the addicted.
The same principle is at work in ALL of our spiritual lives. Our nature abhors the vacuum too. We all have that "GOD spot” as our local Pastor Mark likes to say that needs “filling”, SPIRIT filling!
Ephesians 5:18 tells us plainly how not to fill it and how TO fill it!
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be FILLED with the Spirit…”
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be FILLED with the Spirit…”
Healthy communities, spirit-filled friendships, collaborative companions, intentional worship and communion with GOD all help keep us stay FILLED with the SPIRIT.
We must DAILY pray that Christ would filled our vacuum not with unhealthy habits and choices like drug addiction; but that our hearts through faith would consistently and constantly “know the love of Christ . . . (&) be filled with all the fullness of God” Ephesians 3:19 (NIV)
The truth of the matter is that the only permanent solution to the problem of sin in our lives, the only true solution to the damaging relationship and relationships of addictive behaviors is to embrace the SPIRIT and LOVE of Jesus.
That solves our “natural dilemma” and fills the vacuum.
And the more we fill that "GOD SPOT" with His love, the more we surround ourselves with like-minded and like-“spirited” folks, the better we do at blocking that space for anything harmful, addictive, or damaging!
“Being filled with the Spirit is simply this - having my whole nature yielded to His power. When the whole soul is yielded to the Holy Spirit, God Himself will fill it.” ― Andrew Murray
Love you all…
Be blessed and filled!
Opportunities for Hope (Champions Charge)
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