Feeling Vulnerable (4)
Thursday July 9, 2015
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19 NIV)
We’ve been thinking this week about what to do when we feel vulnerable. Loneliness, frustration, and dissatisfaction are emotions that can trigger a relapse or point us to God’s healing and help. What practical things can you and I do to meet the challenge of feeling vulnerable?
Where we have lived in loneliness, Jesus invites us to take the risk of building new relationships with healthy friends and sponsors who will come alongside us and help us grow. When we experience feelings of frustration and dissatisfaction, God invites us to see this as a signal that something is wrong. We then need to identify the empty place deep within us that needs to be filled, and take the appropriate action for our situation. Rather than run away, it's time to see that a breakthrough might be just around the corner. Where we lacked accountability because of the absence of Godly correction in our childhood, Jesus now invites us to put ourselves under the guidance of a mature and trustworthy person and let them mentor us and help us move forward in our recovery. Where we waited for others to come and fix us and drag us out of dark places, we now need to do the reaching out, and by so doing, experience the connectedness and joy of Godly relationships.
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. (Hebrews 10:36 NIV)
Feeling empty and vulnerable and clinging to thoughts or practices that present us with an opportunity to relapse, are signs that we need to seek help. There is always something we can do that will ease the craving in our mind and body. We must let go of the lie that our substance of choice will best fulfill that longing. We wouldn't be in recovery today if it had. We can fill the void in our heart by telling ourselves the truth. God does care. God will give strength to stand firm to those who ask for it. Our choice today is, do we believe what God says and fill up on that, or, do we continue to run on empty until we give into our addictive obsession?
Now godliness with contentment is great gain. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (1 Timothy 6:6 NKJV, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 NIV)
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