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What is a father wound?

6/10/2014

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Jack is a 42-year-old who entered my office for counseling after his wife discovered his long history of Internet pornography, and trips to local massage parlors. As I began to explore his history in an attempt to understand the deeper issues involved, I was struck by one of Jack’s statements: ‘My father always provided for us and was home every night after work. But even though he was there, he was never really present.’ Thus begins an exploration of the question: What is the father wound?

Andrew Comiskey, in his book on sexual and relational healing entitled “Strength in Weakness” writes, ‘Though the Father intended for us to be roused and sharpened by our fathers, we find more often than not that our fathers were silent and distant, more shadow than substance in our lives.’ This kind of a ‘shadow’ presence is not what our heavenly Father intended for our relationships with our earthly fathers. Unfortunately, few fathers follow the injunction of Proverbs 27:17: ‘As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.’

Like Jack, then, many men grew up with fathers who returned home after work, but were never really active as sharpening agents in the lives of their sons. These fathers provided for their sons’ material needs, but they were strangely absent when the time came to satisfy the needs of the heart, such as intimacy and connection. Fathers like this may have been available to coach their sons’ baseball teams or supervise yard work. However, they were less likely to model intimacy in relationships, or to be an active presence when their sons were dealing with the pain of rejection by peers.

In his soul, every man craves deep, intimate connections with other men, but men are often left without the tools for creating these loving, nurturing relationships. A big reason for this has to do with the primary role fathers typically play in families. Rather than nurturing their sons or developing intimacy with them, fathers often spend the majority of their time enforcing the rules. Patrick Morley, in his classic book “Man in the Mirror” states, ‘Mothers love and stroke their children. Angry fathers handle the discipline.’ While this statement may seem unfair to fathers, it is a fair assessment of the father’s role in many families. Not only do fathers interact with their boys in a primarily disciplinary role, but boys are taught to absorb that discipline with a stiff upper lip. Boys learn the lesson very early on that they are not to display any sense of vulnerability. When life gets tough, negative feelings are to be stuffed and internalized.

This stoic, unemotional approach to life is often accompanied by a seemingly unreachable set of expectations from fathers. Countless men enter my counseling office with stories of fathers they could not please: ‘All my life I have felt as if I just couldn’t cut it in my father’s eyes. It always seemed like the bar was raised just above my reach.’ Some of the deepest wounds lie in these feelings of inadequacy, which can then poison other relationships and make true intimacy difficult. Men that grew up with fathers they were unable to please often carry around a suffocating belief system: ‘I can never cut it. And if I’m not cutting it, then why would others want to be around me?’

Another reason men may feel inadequate is because their fathers did not support or affirm them as they moved into manhood. Jack Balswick, in his book “Men at the Crossroads” writes, ‘Tragically, many young men are growing up without a father who will affirm their leap into manhood’Often the voices they do hear are distortions of true manhood.’ Because so many boys do not have a father affirming their ‘leap into manhood,’ that transition is often filled with feelings of fear, anger and frustration, instead of confidence and security. Lonely and discouraged, boys become isolated and alienated men. In this isolated state, men continue to desire closeness and connection, but they often have no concept of how to achieve it.

It is because of this quandary that many men seek out sexual fantasy in an attempt to find some sense of intimacy. Many men feel a void in their lives, often created by the wounds of the past, and some men attempt to fill that void with illicit sexuality. Men’s desire for intimacy and connection is real, powerful, and appropriate. But when men try to satisfy that desire in the form of sexual fantasies and acts, they find merely approximations or shadows of true relationship and connection.

However, a healing balm for men’s wounds, including their father wound, can be found. By obtaining a biblical understanding of what a father truly is, and through a relationship with Jesus Christ, men can begin to experience healing. More healing can occur through accountability and community with other Christian brothers. As Jack began developing relationships with others who were truly present, and experiencing relationship with a heavenly Father who is always present, his need to escape into the world of sexual fantasy was diminished. Sharing our wounds with fellow sojourners in the journey can provide immeasurable healing. It is in coming out of our own woundedness and brokenness that we can most clearly see the essential nature of relationship with Christ and others.


This post was written by Jeff Eckert.  The original post can be found here:  http://newlife.com/what-is-the-father-wound

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Forgiving our fathers

6/9/2014

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Time has come for us to forgive our fathers. 


Paul warns us that unforgiveness and bitterness can wreck our lives and the lives of others (Eph. 4:31; Heb. 12:15). I am sorry to think of all the years my wife endured the anger and bitterness that I redirected at her from my father. 

As someone has said, forgiveness is setting a prisoner free and then discovering the prisoner was you. I found some help in Bly's experience of forgiving his own father, when he said, "I began to think of him not as someone who had deprived me of love or attention or companionship, but as someone who himself had been deprived, by his father and his mother and by the culture." My father had his own wound that no one ever offered to heal. His father was an alcoholic, too, for a time, and there were some hard years for my dad as a young man just as there were for me.

Now you must understand: Forgiveness is a choice. It is not a feeling, but an act of the will. As Neil Anderson has written, "Don't wait to forgive until you feel like forgiving; you will never get there. Feelings take time to heal after the choice to forgive is made." 



We allow God to bring the hurt up from our past, for "if your forgiveness doesn't visit the emotional core of your life, it will be incomplete." We acknowledge that it hurt, that it mattered, and we choose to extend forgiveness to our father. 


This is not saying, "It didn't really matter"; it is not saying, "I probably deserved part of it anyway." 


Forgiveness says, "It was wrong, it mattered, and I release you."

And then we ask God to father us, and to tell us our true name.



This blog post is excerpted from the book, Wild at Heart by John Eldredge.


BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.


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Sunday Meditation

6/8/2014

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Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.  Habakkuk 3:17-18

Sometimes it feels like life is the experience of loss upon loss. There are times when losses are all we can see. We are like this farmer taking inventory. The figs, the grapes, the olive crop, and the wheat are all lost. The sheep and the cattle are gone. There is nothing left, and nothing to hope for. In times like this we are in danger of believing that fear and sorrow are our only companions.

If the inventory of our lives stopped here, then all would be lost. We would be without hope. But there is more to the story of our lives than our inventory of losses can ever show. We can return again to the hope that God is bigger than all of the losses of life. No matter how long our inventory of losses may be, we can find in God a peace and hope that reshapes our struggle. The losses do not magically disappear. But, when we turn our hearts toward God, we know again that there is more to our life story than losses. We do not want the bottom line of our life's story to read "this was a person who experienced many losses". As each day we turn our hearts again to God, we are writing a life story that will end with "though the losses were painful, this was a person who found deep joy in God's love."

Lord, my losses are many.
Help me not to pretend about them.
Help me to grieve, Lord. 
But help me as well to turn my heart toward you.
Even as I grieve, 
help me to find
joy in you.


Amen.

Copyright Dale and Juanita Ryan

National Association for Christian Recovery 


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5 things Christ followers should do

6/7/2014

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A few days ago I was reflecting on what it means to follow Christ. When I was thinking about this, various standard things came to mind. You know…the things pastors preach about all the time. It made sense to me that, to be a Christ- follower, a person would naturally desire to get closer to God through prayer, scripture reading, giving, and fellowship with other believers.

What about in the times when we are out and about? What about the mundane things that people take part in on a regular basis? My mind started to gravitate towards things people do on a regular basis that display their faith. These things are often overlooked. They are not elaborate displays of sainthood, and things that will probably never be acknowledged. I think the following are things that Christ-followers should do, not to show the world they are Christian, but because the living God dwells within.

Disclaimer: No one is perfect. God fills us with the ability to do these things.

5 Things Christ-Followers Should Do:

1. Put the grocery cart back in the “cart corral” or back to the store- This may sound silly, but this concept goes further than just putting a cart away. It is really not about a cart at all. This is about loving others and being considerate. The real reason this is done is because it is an exercise in inconveniencing yourself to do something for those who may never see your face.

2. Tip Well- Nothing makes me shake my head more than a Christian who prays before a meal, and leaves a lousy tip at a restaurant. Do me a favor…if you do not plan to tip well, don’t pray for your meal in public. It makes Jesus look bad. I think, when we do this right, we show the world that Christ is a generous God. Do some research on the wage of a server. It is not great, and yes it is yor problem. Oh…and stop complaining about how slow your service is (within reason )…You do realize that you came to this place, sat down, and now people are BRINGING FOOD TO YOU…right?

3. Listen- Now, I want you to understand my heart in saying this, because I am a huge proponent of having proper theology, but sometimes people just need to listen to each other. Not every conversation is a platform for theologcial reform. Sometimes people need to talk and need to “hurt out loud”. Listen to them. Let them say bad words. Let them be mad at God, and hate for just a few minutes. It will be okay, and God will not be dethroned by doing so. God will soften your heart more deeply, and speak more loudly to what He wants you to do. You know why? Because God is real and He does that.

4. Show Contentment- So many relationships (married and friendships) are shattered, because people reject the concept of “enough”. If we stopped trying to pull people into our pitty, and invited them into our celebration, we would see more people praising God. If we get up every morning and thanked God for what we have first…we will feel the power that only the Holy Spirit can bring.

5. Cry and Laugh- You are not made of stone and God made you to show emotion. This enhances our lives and helps us express things that are real. Weep with those who mourn, and laugh at things that are corny. Who cares what people think?!?!

There are obviously many more that I could write, and they will come later. Let’s make a covenant to act like authentic Christians. Not the cookie cutter kind, but truly real.


This post was written by Rev DeCrastos.  For the original post, go to:  http://other-words.net/2014/05/27/5-things-christ-followers-should-do/

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Ready to die

6/6/2014

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For I am ready . . . even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus--Acts 21:13

 When we follow him, God will—sooner or later—ask us to do something we don’t want to do, to go someplace we don’t want to go. Maybe his “ask” will come through a nudge or as a thought in prayer. Maybe it will come as a prompt while reading Scripture. Maybe through the encouraging or challenging words of a friend. However it comes, it will come.

 After visiting Ephesus and Macedonia, the Apostle Paul got an “ask” from God the Holy Spirit to go on to Jerusalem (Acts 19:21). The Spirit warned him, however: if he went there, he’d be arrested. Paul’s friends begged him not to go. Paul answered: “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13).

 For us to become the men we were created to become, for us to become the men the world needs us to become, we must act with the same boldness and confidence. Paul was bold and confident because he trusted two things: God’s in charge and God’s good. We must trust those too. For they allow us, like Paul, to trust one thing more: our affirmative answers to God’s “asks” are ultimately good for us, good for others, and good for God’s Kingdom . . . and will very likely become the proudest moments of our lives. Indeed, these “asks” lead us into the very adventures for which we were created.

Okay, so what do we do?

 What do you feel God might be asking of you, right now? Is there anything you just know he’s  prompting you, quietly, to do? If so, resolve to trust him. And today take a practical and measurable step—bold and confident—toward that thing.



Copyright © 2013 Gather Ministries, All rights reserved.



BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

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Got Risk . . . Discomfort?

6/5/2014

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 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere—Psalm 84:10

 Years spent in luxury and comfort can’t compare to one day spent with God—in his presence; experiencing his love; living his truth; doing his work. And, astonishingly, God doesn’t offer us just single days . . . mere glimpses, fleeting encounters. He offers himself “more abundantly than all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20-21). He offers all of himself, all the time—as much as we want, as much as we choose.

 One proven method of choosing him is to strip away worldly comfort, strip away predictability and self-sufficiency . . . and intentionally move into situations we can’t handle on our own. Jesus sent his disciples into such situations: “I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves” (Luke 10:3). He told them to travel light and resist taking anything that could provide comfort, predictability, self-sufficiency: money, extra clothing, extra stuff (Luke 10:4). They had to rely on him. And they returned full of joy (Luke 10:17). Because they’d been willing to move, in faith, into risk and discomfort, they got to spend precious days with God. Jesus told them:

 “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Luke 10:23-24).

Okay, so what do we do?

 Ask yourself, what am I doing—right now—that requires faith? We get used to choosing risk and discomfort by practicing. So, look for ways to practice, brother. Look today for what moves your heart. Reach out to someone who needs help. Spend time with someone who needs a friend. Commit to a service project. Sign-up for a short-term mission trip. If you do, you’ll too have great stories to tell.



Copyright © 2013 Gather Ministries



BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

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Deepening intimacy with the Holy Spirit

6/4/2014

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I grew up weekly affirming that “I believe in the Holy Spirit,” but that did not mean that I understood Him. Truthfully, I still don’t fully understand him, but here are a few insights that have helped me experience the Holy Spirit:

1. Holy Spirit is a person.  The Holy Spirit is not an “it.” When the late Steve Jobs referred to “the iPhone,” he dropped the definite article. To Jobs, it was simply “iPhone,” as if to personalize it. I wonder if sometimes even in the language we employ to speak of the Holy Spirit, we don’t do the very opposite and depersonalize Him. He seems safer that way, right? But Holy Spirit is a person, one who can be known and can know us, as frightening as that intimacy may be.

2. Awareness is everything.  A.W. Tozer once wrote “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Tozer may be correct, but I wonder if he would have left out the phrase “about God,” if he were to have penned the sentence today.  What if the most important thing about us is simply what comes into our minds when we think?  In an age with so much mental clutter and so many weapons of mass distraction vying for our attention, our problem is not just that we think wrongly about God, but that we rarely think about God at all. Making room in our minds and our hearts and our schedules can be an invitation for Holy Spirit to fill these spaces.

3. Obedience is God’s love language.  I think Holy Spirit likes it when I look stupid. I say that because He rewards it so generously. I’ve stood for minutes in uncomfortable silence in front of my congregation; I’ve jumped in a shockingly cold river fully clothed; I’ve given away guitars worth more than my vehicles, and I’ve started a church against the advice of a personality test, all because of a prompting by Holy Spirit. I’m not alone–Noah built an ark before rain was a “thing.”  Abraham moved from his homeland before moving was a thing. Moses threw a stick on the ground before Pharaoh, and not to play fetch. When we obey, we trust Holy Spirit more than we trust our own inclinations.  He likes that. The times I have knowingly experienced Holy Spirit most have been during the times of greatest obedience and surrender.

4. Honor is attractive.  If you want someone to like you, it is normally pretty easy. Honor them. Speak well of them. Let your actions communicate that you are important to them. In worship, as we fix our attention on God, listen to Holy Spirit, sing majestic words about His many attributes, tell Him how much we like Him, He seems to be attracted by it. Honor and gratitude prepare the way for us to experience more of God, either by expressing our thoughts and feelings about God, or by realigning them.

5. The goal is God.  Yes, Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways. No, we do not always know what He is going to do or to say or when, but there is a simple and predictable formula for experiencing more of God.  Ok, here it is—Seek Him. He wants to be found. The Holy Spirit may work in unexpected ways, but He rarely reveals Himself to unsuspecting people. Study great outpourings and revivals, and you will find that none of them happened accidentally. Ask the apostles, the Moravians, or the 24-7 Prayer movement, and they would likely affirm that we tend to stumble upon God more often when we are looking for Him than when we are not. Living lives in which we are immersing ourselves in listening prayer, seeking God through Scripture, listening for him in books we read and in conversations with others–seeking God both through spiritual disciplines and in our everyday lives—will certainly result in our finding Him. Oswald Chambers provided a good example when he said, “My goal is God Himself, at any cost, by any road.”

So what is your goal? At the end of the day, maybe experiencing Holy Spirit isn’t easy, but it is simple—seek Him, find Him; don’t seek Him, well . . . you get the idea.



This post was written by Rev McAnally.  You can find the original post here:  http://seedbed.com/feed/believe-holy-spirit-5-keys-deepening-intimacy-holy-spirit/



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Treating people like human beings

6/3/2014

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One of the most dangerous tendencies of every human being is to mentally divide people into categories of people. It’s dangerous because half the time we don’t even know we’re doing it. Christians are particularly good at this; and yet, acting on this tendency is perilous to the Christian life. Breaking down this framework isn’t easy but it is necessary if we are going to live as Christ called us to live. The truth is, these mentally constructed categories don’t exist. There is not a distinction 


between who is my neighbor and who is not–Jesus told us this explicitly and yet for some reason we still don’t get it.   


Everyone is our neighbor.

When we start thinking this way it changes how we interact with people. And this is important because that guy who waited on you last night at the restaurant . . . that girl that cut your hair . . . they’re not just some waiter . . . or some hairdresser . . . they’re people. People who may be struggling . . . hurting . . . waiting for someone, anyone, to talk to. But when we label them by what they do we cease to see them as persons; persons who are infinitely precious, incredibly valuable, and unceasingly loved by God–and for this very reason they should also mean that much to us. Because every person is objectively valuable. As Christians we should recognize this but we don’t. We’re all human and we’re all in this together and the gospel is the gospel not just for me and my friends at Church but for the man who brings my mail . . . the woman who rings up my coffee . . . and that guy that asked for directions.

I have done a great job forgetting this truth. I am really good at valuing things, tasks, or even ideas, more than people. But how we view people, and how we interact with people, impacts our entire worldview. And our worldview impacts how we live our lives. And our lives as Christians impact the way the world views Christ. And sometimes the picture of Christ that we’re showing the world isn’t so Christ-like.

So how do live this truth day-to-day?

I think this can be very practically applied by remembering to look into people rather than at people. As a society we’ve constructed all these boundaries, “oh man I can’t look into that person’s eyes because they’re a stranger” and so we try to avoid people we don’t know whenever possible. And if we absolutely must confront a stranger, say at the check out or to give directions, we try our best to keep the conversation an interaction with the subject rather than an interaction with the person.

For instance, the other day there was a knock on our door. It was an outdoor salesman who wanted to assess our lawn for treatment. We politely declined and he went on his way. That evening, after a party we hosted for my mom’s birthday, we saw the same salesman wandering back down our road. He looked a little lost. My wife turned to me and asked if we could invite him in for a piece of cake. And just like that, my wife demonstrated to me what a truly Christian worldview looks like. The guy walking down the road ceased to be merely a salesman to me and became a person.

While he ate his cake we were able to talk about life, family, and God. The conversation was a tremendous encouragement to me–it was the manifestation of what God has been teaching me about personal interactions. About forty-five minutes later he walked back out our front door with two extra pieces of cake for him and his wife and my phone number securely tucked in the contacts of his phone; and just like, when the salesman was allowed to walk through my front door he ceased to be a salesman and became a friend.

This is the kind of attitude we should have with everyone. And I struggle with this. We hold the keys to our house. We can open the door or slam it shut. We can let people into our lives or we can leave them out in the cold. But when we leave them in the cold we’re also shutting Jesus out with them.

In an earlier post I talked about showing Christ by suffering . . . By loving everyone not just those that love us . . . and this post is kind of complementary to it in the sense that we shouldn’t focus only on loving one of two extremes: our brother or enemy . . . We also need to remember that those people with whom we have casual interactions are people that we are called to love. And the first step to loving these people is to see them as people. He’s not just a waiter . . . She’s not just a hairdresser . . . He’s not just a salesman . . .

This is hard because we have these interactions all the time and we often find them unremarkable. But when someone does something in love to us we think, man, I love that person . . . Or when someone does something that makes us really angry we think, man, Jesus said I need to love that guy. But what about those people that do neither of these things? We tend to forget them; we’re not supposed to forget to love them but we often do.

I have failed to love my neighbor by failing to see my neighbor as a person instead of a title. I failed by categorizing people. I have failed by looking through my neighbor to my end goal: checking out at the store . . . getting my coffee . . . or just getting home sooner . . . Lord, forgive me.



This post was written by Ben Cabe.  To find the original post, go to:  http://www.bencabe.com/theology-spirituality/treating-people-like-human-beings


BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.



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Shooting  myself in the foot

6/2/2014

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When things go wrong do you look for someone or something to blame?  I know I do.  It's much easier to look outside of myself when things go wrong.  That way, I don't have to spend time praying asking God to show me where my walk with Him needs to improve.  I don't have to spend time listening to God's Holy Spirit telling me what needs fixed.  It's just plain easier to throw somebody else under the bus or chalk it up to circumstances.  

Recently, I have had a convergence of several things where I couldn't use my usual excuse (at least in my mind) of "it's not my fault."  Granted these things that I did were not overt sin but more of just being uncaring, unfeeling, not considering how others might respond to what I say or do.  These are things that should never have occurred and there is no one else to blame for what I have done.   

How does this happen?  I can name several things in my life that need to change...  These things happened because of complacency, spiritual laziness, pride, ego, etc.  You name it.  Those things that I thought I have hidden away and only God and I know about it.  Yet, I have found, that these hidden things take root.  They end up coming out.  

God is not going to collude with me.  He's not gonna say, "Hey, this is just between you and me.  I'm gonna help you not let these things pop out in your dealing with others."  Nope.  

God's more like, "you know those things that are just between you and me, those ugly thoughts you have of others?  That indifference you carry with you about others?  Well, those need to be gone from your life, not just hidden to others.  Are you gonna play the Christian game or are you gonna be truly transformed?   Oh, and BTW, they're not as hidden as much as you think they are."   

What's interesting, when I was recently confronted about these things by people who are important in my life, I couldn't say anything but "I was wrong."  At the time I did them, I didn't thing they were that bad.  But gaining a perspective outside myself, what I thought was benign was actually very unfeeling.  A cool thing (or maybe it's not as cool as a I think) is that these confrontations didn't come from a Christian perspective.  I was confronted about these things from people who did not even touch upon my Christianity when confronting me.  It wasn't something like, "you call yourself a Christian and you say/do those things?"  No.  It was simply from a personal standpoint.  They didn't know it, but God was speaking to me thru them.  I was nailed.  I had no excuses.  There was nobody I could throw under the bus.  I shot myself in the foot.  It was me.



One person said to me, "I know what you said, you didn't mean.  After all, I know that you are man of integrity.  I just wonder if you thought about how I might have felt when you said that?"  What popped into my head was, "How many hits on my integrity can I take before people stop giving me the benefit of the doubt?  How many more times can I do this and people will stop confronting me and just write me out of their lives?"  Again, I could say nothing in my defense.  I was clearly wrong.  I apologized, asking for forgiveness.  That's all I could do.


I am grateful that I have people in my life who are willing to give me second chances.  I don't want to presume on their mercy.  I don't want to have to ask for a 3rd chance, a 4th chance, etc.  


Ultimately, I'm glad that God is a God of Second Chances (and 2,876th chances)...    I don't want to presume on God's mercy either:  "Yet, God keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me!" - Psalm 19:13


But when I do shoot myself in the foot I know that "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end;  they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." - Lamentations 3:22-23. 


God has forgiven me, my friends have forgiven me.  Now I need to forgive myself.


BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

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Sunday Meditation

6/1/2014

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Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.   Philippians 3:12

Some days the desire to be 'finished' with recovery is almost overwhelming. It is such an attractive thought. To be 'done'. It sounds so good. Done. Finally. Please, Lord, I want to be done today.

But, we have learned something about our capacity for self-deceit. We have learned that we are not entirely in control of the process of recovery. And, we have learned something about the dangers of complacency. It can lead us back into denial, and toward relapse. There is no more dangerous moment for us than the moment we become convinced that we are all better.

Recovery is 'pressing on'. We have not 'already obtained.' We have not 'already been made perfect.' Tomorrow's recovery cannot be done in advance. And yesterday's recovery, although it has changed and enriched us, is not the same thing as today's recovery. Today's recovery can only be done today.

The process of recovery restructures our lives in some very fundamental ways. We had learned silence, and in recovery we learn to speak the truth. We had learned not to feel, and in recovery we learn to feel. We had learned either not to need other people at all or to be excessively dependent on other people, and in recovery we learn to need other people in appropriate ways. These are significant changes. But, they are not irreversible changes. We can go back to silence, emotional numbness and unhealthy relationships. Recovery is necessarily therefore a new way of life. It is a daily pressing on. It is the day-at-a-time practice of the disciplines of recovery that makes it possible for us to continue to heal, grow and change.

Lord, you have brought me so far.
Thank you. I am grateful for all I have gained.
But, I want to press on.
I want to continue to grow.
I want to continue to learn.
Help me to press on.
Help me to do today's recovery today.
Help me to press on toward you.
Take hold of me with your love.


Amen.

Copyright Dale and Juanita Ryan

National Association for Christian Recovery




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