Thursday, October 3, 2013 -- God's Guidance Brings Joy

Surrendering our minds to the Lordship of Jesus Christ brings peace to our whole being.  God is a God of order; He is not a God of confusion.  When we let confusion reign in our minds we live in turbulent waters and allow ourselves to be tossed about to and fro.  Choosing for the calm waters, where the Captain of the Lord of hosts wants to steer us, brings joy to our hearts and delight to those around us.  Thinking and acting on our own self-centered thoughts brings confusion to us and grief to those who love and care about us. There is only despair when we choose again to follow our selfish ways and ignore the guidance of the Holy Spirit. However, there is confident hope when we walk surrendered to and empowered by the Holy Spirit. 

Our hope comes from God. May He fill you with joy and peace because of your trust in Him. May your hope grow stronger by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 NLV)

What steals our joy in recovery and causes us to stumble? The underlying trait that steals our joy and jeopardizes our life in recovery is PRIDE.  We begin to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to.  We start to find fault in our recovery program, the people around us, and our leaders and mentors.  We blame our environment and others for our discontent. We start to feel confident in our own ability to manage our own recovery.  We begin to believe that we could return to our old lifestyle and handle it more successfully than we did in the past. Sadly, our prideful thinking makes us feel we can succeed on our own rather than with the help and guidance of our awesome God. 

You have felt secure in your evil ways.  You have said, ‘No one sees what I’m doing.’ Your wisdom and knowledge lead you down the wrong path.  You say to yourself, ‘I am like a god. No one is greater than I am.’ (Isaiah 47:10 NIRV)

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