CR Daily Devotional 02

The daily devotional discusses how our daily lives often remind us of our lack of control. We try to deal with this by worrying, pretending it doesn't matter, or becoming angry. We may isolate ourselves to avoid the pain. Some of us try to control our circumstances and others, which can undermine our faith and prevent us from recognizing our powerlessness. The devotional emphasizes that by admitting our weaknesses and facing our powerlessness, we invite God to change our lives. It suggests four actions to complete principle one: stop denying the pain, stop playing God, start admitting powerlessness, and start admitting that our lives have become unmanageable. Daily devotional day two. Powerless. The routine of our daily lives often remind us of our lack of control. We stand in a slow line at the grocery store waiting for a cashier in training. Our car breaks down on the way to work. We wait over a weekend to learn the results of a medical test. Our co-worker gets promoted while we continue to wait for recognition. In our attempts to deal with our lack of control, we worry about the details in our lives, pretend that it doesn't matter, or we become angry and resentful. We might isolate ourselves from other people to keep the pain at a distance. Many of us try, in one way or another, to control our circumstances and the people around us. Some of us are too proud to admit that certain areas of our lives have become unmanageable. This pride can undermine our faith, cut us off from God, and prevent us from recognizing our own powerlessness. In this mode, we refuse to allow others to reach out for help. Stories we encounter in the news distress us. We hear about a man who left his three-year-old son in a car when it was 35 degrees outside. The man was visiting a strip club. Outraged, we ask ourselves, why doesn't this father get help for his struggle with sexual addiction? Meanwhile, we're attempting to escape our own pain through the repeated cycle of overeating and dieting. Like the father visiting the strip club, we refuse to admit our own struggle or reach out for help. By facing our powerlessness and admitting our weaknesses, we invite God to step in to change our lives. After hearing a testimony at a Celebrate Recovery conference, a pastor approached the speaker saying, I want to tell you some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that I've been struggling with my pride. Your testimony made it clear to me that I'm a codependent who is powerless over my issues and that I need recovery. The good news is that I'm going back to my church to start a Celebrate Recovery program. My prayer is that our church can reach out and help people deal with their hurts, hang-ups, and habits. We need to take four actions in order to complete principle one. Number one, stop denying the pain. Psalms 6, 2-3 describes a time in David's life when he came to the end of his emotional and physical resources. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint. Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long? When David's pain finally surpassed his fear, he was able to face his denial and feel the reality of his agony. In the same way, if we want to be rid of our pain, we need to face it and work our way through it. Number two, stop playing God. The simple truth is that we're either going to serve God or ourselves. We can't do both. In the words of Matthew 6, 24, No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despite the other. You cannot serve both God and money. When our self is out of control, all our attempts at control of ourselves or others will fail. We need to admit that we're not God and that we're powerless without him. Then when we finally emptied ourselves, God will have room to come in and begin his healing work. Number three, start admitting our powerlessness. Our lust for power isn't rooted in our strengths, but in our weaknesses. We need to recognize our human limitations and quit trying to resolve the issues by ourselves. We need to admit that we're powerless and be willing to turn over our lives to God. Jesus knew how difficult this would be for us to do. Matthew 19, 26 sums up the situation for us. Recording Jesus' own words, With man, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. Number four, start admitting that our lives have become unmanageable. With this admission, we finally acknowledge that we're out of control and powerless to change on our own. David shared his feelings in Psalm 40, 12. Troubles without number surround me. My sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me. Of what are you still in denial, or what are you still trying to control in your own power? Are there any other masters besides God in your life that you're still trying to serve? What are some of the things you keep doing that you really don't want to do? Can you relate to Psalm 40, 12? How?