Making a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves – sorting out right from wrong, good from bad, and our part in past events -- is an important foundation for life in recovery. God’s word recorded in the Bible is the standard against which we all must measure our behaviour. Reviewing our thoughts, actions, and deeds against God’s standards will show us where we have gone our own way rather than following God’s good path.
Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity. (1 John 2:15-17 MSG)
In our addiction, we participated in habits and lifestyles that were destructive because we either didn’t know, or didn’t want to obey, God’s principles for life. We feared pain, craved pleasure, desired power, and simply wanted to have our own way in whatever we chose to do. We tried whatever we thought would bring us satisfaction and joy. Nothing we tried brought lasting fulfillment.
A fearless and moral inventory of ourselves requires honest asking, honest reflecting, and honest assessment of the values we hold compared with God’s principles. We look at how our thinking and actions have fallen short of God’s standards. God sent Jesus into the world, not to condemn us for what we have already done, but to save us from it. We truly matter to God! As we practice God’s will in all our affairs, we will build a meaningful and contented life and God’s blessing will be upon us.
Prayer: Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—then guide me on the road to eternal life. Amen (Psalm 139:23-24 MSG)
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