Friday, September 27, 2012 -- Serenity Prayer (5)

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to peace.  Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it, trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with you forever in the next."

Wouldn’t it be nice if we were all born wise and made nothing but good decisions? Unfortunately that isn’t the case. All of us have made bad choices and walked down paths that have caused us pain and harm. Recovery teaches us to think and act in new ways. But, as we work to make changes in our life and relationships, we may not always be certain of what to do. We may need some guidelines to help us identify Godly wisdom in our thoughts and choices.

Godly wisdom – wisdom based on the knowledge of God - is essential to recovery. "But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere." (James 3:17 NLT). Godly wisdom brings peace and leads to selfless living and faith that works. It allows us to admit our failures and rebuild our life from the ashes of defeat. It frees us from our destructive dependency. It helps us live for others and builds relationships that will support our recovery.

On the practical level, our wisdom can be judged by whether or not our actions conform to God’s instructions. God’s instructions were given to us because they naturally lead to healthy living. Jesus said,  “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.  Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. (Matthew 7:24-25 NLT).  Filling our minds with Jesus’ words and instructions will help us turn away from the things forbidden by God and find the wisdom we need to walk toward wholeness.

Like most aspects of recovery, walking in wisdom is a process that we grow into. Fortunately we have a Father in heaven Who is eager to give us the wisdom we need. The Bible says: "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking." (James 1:5 NLT). Our heavenly Father loves us tenderly. He is always there for us, wanting to give us the wisdom we need whenever we ask for it.

Adapted from:  "Serenity Prayer - Wisdom" - Life With God in Recovery) Copyright 2012 Partners In Hope Recovery Society