RECOVERY CHANGES LIVES
Psalms 32:3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body became weak because I groaned all day long.
Suppressed guilt and shame in my life because of how I was living made it impossible for me to live a normal life. All-day, every day I searched in vain for an answer to my problems.
Coming into recovery changed that. Just being able to talk about my problems openly and honestly in a safe environment helped me so much to open my mind and heart to God and others. There is nothing I enjoy more in my life today than an opportunity to share my experience, strength, and hope with people.
Several years ago a Pastor in the church I belonged to used to ask me week after week “Archie are you RFA?” I never knew what he was talking about till I asked him weeks later. Ready for Anything!
– Are you RFA?
Prayer: Lord, today let me be ready for anything You prompt me to do and equip me to do it.
Guilt
Guilt causes us to hide from God
When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she’d know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate. Immediately the two of them did “see what’s really going on”—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves. When they heard GOD strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from GOD. Genesis 3:6-8
A guilt conscience is a warning signal from God that goes off when we have done the wrong thing or intend to do the wrong thing. Eliminating our guilty feelings through taking mind-altering substances is like using a painkiller. It does not cure the disease. Guilty feelings are God given. They make us aware of our sin and encourage us to ask God for forgiveness and change whatever is causing the guilt.
Jesus Christ takes away all guilt
Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity, he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it through Jesus Christ. Romans 3:23-24
There are no minor sins, and the Bible tells us all sin leads to death. (because they disqualify us from living our lives according to God’s Word) Don’t minimize sin in your life. Suppressed guilt and shame make it impossible for us to live lives that are pleasing to God. He prompts us and equips us to deal with what we need to deal with to become the people He wants us to be.
sharing my experience, strength and hope. 