Avoiding Trouble (1)
Thursday May 18, 2017
Who wants trouble? None of us do and as we listen to God’s counsel there’s a lot of trouble we can avoid. Just as a loving and protective parent wants to safeguard their child by teaching them to not touch a hot stove, and not to interact with strangers on their own, so God provides warnings to us that help us live safely and avoid many problems.
Here are some dependable ways we can avoid trouble in our daily lives.
1. Treat bitterness like poison and avoid it. We all fail one another and God wisely invites us to learn how to forgive rather than let unforgiveness break down our relationships. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. (Hebrews 12:15 NLT) 2. Don’t tell lies. It’s not always convenient to stick with the truth but we need to be careful to not hide the truth or lie about our circumstances and activities. The crooked heart will not prosper, the lying tongue tumbles into trouble. People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace (Proverbs 17:20, 10:10 NLT)
3. Take a new path. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. The slogan we often hear in recovery circles, “If nothing changes nothing changes.” echoes what God’s word says: There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil. (Romans 2:9 NLT)
4. Be accountable and seek direction. Find a reliable sponsor or mentor to be accountable to, especially early in recovery. We need reliable help as we seek to move away from trouble into the peace and blessings of life with God in recovery. People who despise advice are asking for trouble; those who respect a command will succeed. (Proverbs 13:13 NLT)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to live in the safety that You provide. Help me to learn from Your word and humbly listen to wise counselors so that I may purposefully choose to walk in new ways. Amen.
©2017 Partners in Hope
More information on this and other related topics @ http://www.partnersinhope.ca/life-with-god-in-recovery-resources/
Audio for Avoiding Trouble (1)
Recent Meditations
Giving Hope
Partners in Hope is supported wholly by our friends and community. We are thankful to everyone who partners with us to help bring hope to the discouraged, hurting, and hopeless.