How can the gift of divine strength enable you to maintain continuous recovery?
Stumped.
This is a question asked in the Addiction Recovery Manual offered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Oh sure, I know the Sunday School answer. But that isn't the point of this manual, now is it? I felt that if I knew the answer to this question, I would be maintaining a continuous recovery already, not waffling back and forth.
Don't get me wrong, God has already given me strength and wisdom to make strides. But I feel I still have a long way to go in the MAINTENANCE area, you know what I mean. It is what knocks at the back of my minds door, whenever I feel hope and progress. Will it be maintained over time? Will I relapse into negative thoughts again? Will I damage relationships again?
These are the thoughts I try to ignore.
So, the manual is great at making me face straight on questions I would rather ignore :).
Here is what I studied this morning.
I looked up Grace in the Bible Dictionary.
It had some wonderful things to say. I just love truth.
First, it defines Grace as a "divine means of help or strength."
It goes on to say, "...It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals,
through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and
repentance of the their sins
receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means."
(emphasis added)
So, okay, I need grace to maintain. And I have to have faith and repentance to get grace.
I love these last lines in the definition of Grace,
"... after they have expended their own best efforts... grace cannot suffice without total effort on the part of the recipient"
It gives me comfort that I have to work. I have to work.
Work feels good.
It also gives me comfort, that if I do the work,
God will take care of the rest.
So now I have an answer when doubts knock.
What about the future? Can you keep this up?
God will take care of the rest.
Stumped.
This is a question asked in the Addiction Recovery Manual offered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Oh sure, I know the Sunday School answer. But that isn't the point of this manual, now is it? I felt that if I knew the answer to this question, I would be maintaining a continuous recovery already, not waffling back and forth.
Don't get me wrong, God has already given me strength and wisdom to make strides. But I feel I still have a long way to go in the MAINTENANCE area, you know what I mean. It is what knocks at the back of my minds door, whenever I feel hope and progress. Will it be maintained over time? Will I relapse into negative thoughts again? Will I damage relationships again?
These are the thoughts I try to ignore.
So, the manual is great at making me face straight on questions I would rather ignore :).
Here is what I studied this morning.
I looked up Grace in the Bible Dictionary.
It had some wonderful things to say. I just love truth.
First, it defines Grace as a "divine means of help or strength."
It goes on to say, "...It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals,
through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and
repentance of the their sins
receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means."
(emphasis added)
So, okay, I need grace to maintain. And I have to have faith and repentance to get grace.
I love these last lines in the definition of Grace,
"... after they have expended their own best efforts... grace cannot suffice without total effort on the part of the recipient"
It gives me comfort that I have to work. I have to work.
Work feels good.
It also gives me comfort, that if I do the work,
God will take care of the rest.
So now I have an answer when doubts knock.
What about the future? Can you keep this up?
God will take care of the rest.
4 comments:
Great thoughts, Chelsie. Yet another great point for me to ponder.
you are awesome, chelsie.
I am so glad you are back! I have missed you.
I LOVE how you put that!
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