Category: Spiritual Growth

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Who’s Protecting You?

In response to last week’s question:  
What hurt would you like to see discussed?

My longtime friend and school mate, Ren, suggested: 
“What about relapse? It’s going around.”

Before getting Ren’s suggestion, I had already been led to write about the recovery principle ~Self-Protection.  I was excited to get her suggestion because Relapse and Self-Protection go hand in hand… If we aren’t protecting our self, we will definitely be on the road to a quick relapse!

Long gone are the days when people had the same physician for their entire life. Someone you could trust, who knew your history, had a personal relationship with you and your family, who actually watched out for your health concerns. Gone are the days when we felt safe in our community and country. When we could trust our neighbors; leaving our homes and cars unlocked. 
The principles of Self-Protection can be applied across the board to all areas of our life:
  • Physical-nutrition & exercise
  • Relationships-marriage, friends & family
  • Lifestyle-work & recreation

Today if we are to be protected, we pretty much have to do it our self. We must read and research to be aware of potential risks and know what boundaries to put in place for our own protection.

For myself, as a recovering sex addict, it has been critical for the last 5 years to have clearly defined boundaries on the influences in my life: TV, Internet, music, movies, magazines, friends, environment, etc…

With my new health concerns, Insulin Resistance; I must be just as diligent with boundaries to avoid possible temptations.

Let’s look at some specific guidelines that can help us stay protected:

  1. Be Steadfast in Convictions: Know and understand why.
  2. Seek Good Counsel: Bible, minister, counselor, doctor.
  3. Share with a Friend: Get accountability partner.
  4. Create New Habits: Remove old patterns.
  5. Do The Next Right Thing: Be wise; stay on track.
  6. Stay Rested: Be good to your body.

There’s a familiar recovery acronym: H.A.L.T. that reminds us times of temptation come when we are Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired. I’ve taken the liberty to build on this and add a spiritual aspect to further our protection.

H. A. L. T. E. D. 
When:
Hungry — physical desires of any kind take over. 
Angry — annoyed with life’s frustrations 
Lonely — lonesome and fearful 
Tired — troubled and depressed 
I will:  
Exercise — calming prayer. 
Do — good and expect a reward.

In order to become everything God has created us to be; we must have a deep resolve. We must look for God’s escape out of each temptation and run for it. We serve a faithful God who is always beside us, working for our good and leading us in paths of victory and strength.

We can overcome any obstacle, any challenge, any temptation in Jesus’ name!

If you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too, may fall… remember the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it. 
                               ~1 Corinthians 10:12-13 New Living Translation

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What Designer Label Are You Wearing?

Growing up in a lower-middle class family, with one income didn’t provide for many luxuries. We rarely ate at restaurants. We’d buy the Colonel’s chicken but mother would cook everything else. We vacationed in a tent or camper; never staying in motels. And when it came time to purchase groceries my mother was never taken in by brand names. My sister or I would ask for a brand name cereal, shampoo that we’d seen on a television commercial; but mother would buy the ‘store’ brand and say, “It all comes out of the same barrel.”
In the 70’s there were a few designer brands here and there, not like now! It seems in today’s culture women and men are all about the designer labels… 
Burberry, Gucci, Armani, Calvin Klein, Versace, Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, Prada, Chanel… ad infinitum… 
There’s designer everything from shoes, purses, clothes, watches, cars, dishes, food, furniture, even dogs.
A person can go designer crazy!
 
According to Wikipedia the term designer label refers to clothing and other personal accessory items sold under an often prestigious marque which is commonly named after a designer. The term is most often only applied to luxury items. While members of the upper-middle class, or the mass affluent, are perhaps the most commonly targeted customers of these designer labels, some marquees—such as Cartier—tend to a wealthier customer base.
The world may be all about designer labels but what about the label we’re wearing on our life?
The Apostle Paul in the third chapter of Colossians writes:
So, if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides.
That means killing off everything connected with the way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing what ever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy.

That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God.
Your done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete.
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense.

And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. – The Message Bible

What designer label are you wearing today? A worldly label or The Master Creator’s label?

The best news of all: God’s designer label isn’t targeted to any one class of people.

God is a respecter of all persons.

If you haven’t yet, take this opportunity to try His brand…You won’t be sorry!

PRAYER:
Lord, help me to live the resurrection life with Christ. Help me to take off the old fashions and put on the new wardrobe you have for me. Help me to walk in Your love today.