2022 | Spiritual Foundations | Week One

Living Life Recovery is a safe place where people can come and investigate the reality of God’s promises for their life, at there own pace.
From next week on my SoundCloud podcast I will be starting the series Daily Life Recovery. A series of my daily recovery experiences, strength and hope. Produced to encourage others to investigate the promises of God in their lives at their own pace, and to encourage others to do the same. Here is a post I did a number of years ago on the Twelve Steps of Living Life Recovery. I hope you will join me as I share this series, which will only be available here on http://livingliferecovery.com If you know anyone who might benefit from listening please share the link with them.
“So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good,” says God. “Don’t link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself.” 2 Corinthians 6:17
Indecision can be fatal. Doubts about our ability to change our lives and recover from our addictions and compulsions shattering our progress in the recovery process. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies when it comes to pursuing what is best for us. In making the decision on the direction we want our lives to go. Revelations 3:16 says “you are neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm”
Too often we are happy to sit on the fence, go with the flow and ignore the prompts of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Standing, not fully persuaded. Remaining in the shadows. Failing to accept God’s commands as we travel the road to recovery. Renouncing our old way of living, yet with no commitment to anything new.
Dedication to changed life may seem impossible, but if we are opened to Gods leading in our lives He is willing and able to walk with us. If we are ready to accept our weaknesses and entrust our lives to Him, rely on His help he will lead us to places we never thought possible.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. I don’t live any longer. Christ lives in me. My faith in the Son of God helps me to live my life in my body. He loved me. He gave himself for me.
I used to love going to The Mount Barker Salvation Army and listening to the Mount Barker Singers sing the song “I’ve Been Changed.” The words say “All my life has been rearranged. What a difference it made when the Lord came to stay in my heart.”
Today’s verse says “My faith in the Son of God helps me to live my life in my body.” Why? “Because He loves me, and He gave Himself for me.”
Living Life Recovery from a Biblical perspective changes us from the inside out. The inside changes affect the outward actions.
Prayer: God today I am different! I no longer have faith in my own ability to recover but have complete faith that with You all things are possible.
God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth.
God’s power can deliver us from our addictive and compulsive behaviours and attitudes, but only if we are prepared to be rigorously honest with Him. To avoid His displeasure we need to apply what we learn from the Bible, the Holy Spirit and the Twelve Steps.
Lord, help me today to help You to help me avoid Your displeasure by being honest with You and applying what You teach me through Your Word, Your Spirit and the Twelve Steps.
“After arriving back home, his disciples cornered Jesus and asked, “Why couldn’t we throw the demon out?” He answered, “There is no way to get rid of this kind of demon except by prayer.”” Mark 9:28-29
If we could have fixed our problems on our own we would have by now. Some of our demons can only be defeated by prayer and God’s intervention. He loves us He cares for us and we need to put our faith in His ability not only to change us but to change everything if He chooses to.
Step eleven is simple “He works in ways we cannot see and He will make away.” If we let Him,
“When I was upset and beside myself, you [God] calmed me down and cheered me up.” Psalms 94:19
WHY READ AND STUDY THE BIBLE?
In order to discover God’s purpose for my life, implement it and to improve my relationship with Him, I will spend time daily in prayer, reading the Bible and meditating on i
2 Timothy 3:16-17 Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
– God prepares us, through learning, implementing and living the twelve steps to become the best version of who created us to be. The Twelve Steps accompanied by Scripture are our training programme to living God’s way.
Hebrews 4:12 God means what he says. What He says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey.
– Studying the Bible, not just reading it regularly and checking ourselves against it shape our character. Through prayer the Holy Spirit highlights what we need to do, how it needs to be done, when it needs to be done and equips us to DO IT!
John 8:31-32 Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE.”
– The truth about ourselves, about God and about life is revealed through daily interaction with God’s Word. We experience it through obedience to what His Word reveals to us personally, as a group and as a COMMUNITY.
Psalms 119:50-52 These words hold me up in bad times; yes, your promises rejuvenate me. The insolent ridicule me without mercy, but I don’t budge from your revelation. I watch for your ancient landmark words, and know I’m on the right track.
– The Bible helps us through bad times. Recovery is not always an easy process but God’s promise to us of changed life is always true and keeps us on the right track when we STAY FOCUSED.
Psalms 119:26-27 When I told my story, you responded; train me well in your deep wisdom. Help me understand these things inside and out so I can ponder your miracle-wonders.
– Through the Bible God responds to us and trains us in His wisdom. Through the Bible we learn to understand His ways and adapt them to our daily living. Changed life begins on the inside.
Psalms 119:89 What God says stays, as permanent as the heavens. His truth never goes out of fashion; it’s as up-to-date as the earth when the sun comes up. His Word and truth are as dependable as ever.
– The Bible is as relevant and dependable as it has always been. Reading and studying it daily changes our thinking, belief and commitment to changing our lives and becoming all He is calling us to be.
Jesus says “keep company with God.” Why? Because He is there listening for all who pray and mean it.
We have all heard the saying ‘Say what you mean and mean what you say!’ Most of us have talked to God because things have not gone according to our agendas. But, God wants to be involved in every area of our lives, in all circumstances. We are encouraged by Jesus in Matthew 6 to “find a secluded place so we won’t be tempted to role-play and we can come before God simply and honestly” and seek His guidance.
There is a connection between what we do and what God does. He depends on us to do our part before He decides His. I believe recovery is a three stage process.
1. RECOVERY – learning and applying the Twelve Steps to our lives in order that He will help us to change and become the ‘new person’ the Bible talks about in 2 Corinthians 5:17
2, REPENTANCE – understanding the mistakes we have made, making amends for them and making a conscious decision not to do them anymore.
3. RELIVING – the life-long spiritual journey of seeking, learning and doing God’s will to fulfil His purpose in our lives and become the people He created us to be.
The first and second stages are our part. God in His wisdom gives us all free will and with our free will comes the choice to either follow or ignore Him. We do that in the recovery process I believe by learning all we can about ourselves, about life and about God in order that we can develop our characters into God approved characters.
It tells us in Luke 11:10 “Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in.
Improving our conscious contact with God requires us not only to speak to God but to listen to Him and acting on His instruction to live the best life we can and help others to do the same.
Paul says in Titus 1:2 My aim is to raise hopes by pointing the way to life without end. This is the life God promised long ago—and he doesn’t break promises!
To understand and God’s promises for our lives and apply them to our daily living we need to be in constant communication with Him. One of the most important ways of doing that is through reading and studying ahis Word, which I will share more on next week in week three – step eleven.
#StepEleven
Living Life Recovery is a safe place where people can come, share and investigate the realities of God’s promises for themselves.
We believe that as we investigate God’s promises for our lives and practice the ‘Spiritual Principles of Recovery’ as outlined in ‘God’s Word’ we will find the strength and freedom we need to live productive and peaceful lives.
We welcome anyone who has a sincere desire to change their lives. To rise above the pain and turmoil caused by dependencies and compulsive behaviors their own lives or the lives of a loved one or friend.
On completion of my list of sinful habits, I will confess them to God and to someone that I trust. Join me this week for week three of Step Five