Addressing Fear
They cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. — Psalm 107:13
One of the things I struggle with on a daily basis is fear. It might be the fear of disappointing someone, the fear of failure, or the fear of making a costly mistake. I’ve found that when I give in to fear, it can cripple me and keep me from moving forward in my recovery as well as in my life.
The tricky thing is that we can’t trust fear.
Think about how fear is like the darkness. When we go into a dark room, we can’t see a thing. Even though we might know the room well, once the lights are out, everything seems different. We imagine that things are jumping out to trip us as we shuffle around trying not to run into something and hurt ourselves. In reality, nothing has changed except our perception. The furniture is right where it was; the doors haven’t moved. It’s the same room it was with the light on. It’s just that the darkness distorts things.
Fear does the same thing. It distorts our perceptions, making us lose our sense of reality and focus on “what-ifs.” Most of the things we fear aren’t real at all; just figments of our imagination. When the truth comes in, it illuminates our minds, just like turning on the light in a dark room. Truth comes from God’s Word. So why live in fear when we can open our Bibles and turn on the light?
Prayer
Lord God, fill me with Your truth as I read Your Word. I want to live in the light. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Keeping Priorities Straight
Thank God! Call out His Name! Tell the whole world who He is and what He’s done! Sing to Him! Play songs for Him! Broadcast all His wonders! Revel in His holy Name, God-seekers, be jubilant! Study God and His strength, seek His presence day and night; remember all the wonders He performed, the miracles and judgments that came out of His mouth. — 1 Chronicles 16:8-12 MSG
In my younger years, my priorities were way out of whack. I thought that if I had a new house or new car or the latest technology, I would be happy. All I needed was more money, new clothes, expensive furniture, and life would be rosy.
When I realized that these things brought only temporary highs, I began to fill the void and stifle my disappointment with alcohol. That made matters worse, and soon fear and anxiety were chasing me through life.
God reached out to me. He taught me that only my relationship with Jesus Christ could fill my empty heart.
Only His presence in my life could relieve my loneliness, fear, anxiety, and hopelessness. He has made me a better husband, father, grandpa, and leader. God loved me enough to let me see the futility of my own priorities and the abundance that comes with His.
When we have had enough of our own ways, He will be faithful to show us how to live lives that bring real joy and happiness.
Prayer
Father, I have had enough of my own twisted priorities. Show me how to live my life in a way that will bring true joy, peace, and happiness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Excerpted from Celebrate Recovery 365 Daily Devotional by John Baker.
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| Start where you are. Begin today. Celebrate Recovery is not just a program but a means toward lasting life change, and the key to recovery is to keep the eight Christ-centered Life Principles alive. As readers engage with the devotions, they will discover the principles more firmly cemented in their daily thinking and actions, and will find ongoing support and hope for the road ahead. Each powerful devotion is a reminder of God’s goodness, grace, and redemption, and will be an inspiration to anyone struggling with old hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Each daily devotion contains a Bible verse and an inspirational story. The devotion ends with a short prayer for you to share directly with God to help you live out a new growth opportunity for each day. Look inside the devotional below:  | |||||
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