Finding the heart

May 23

Focus: Spiritual nourishment

1 Peter 2:2-3 (NLT) Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

When we try to live right in our own strength, we always fail. Almost everyday of our lives we will be called on to do something we would rather not do. The only way we can succeed in this life and keep moving forward is by tapping into the power that is available to us through the Word of God.

I can’t explain how the power of the Word of God works—it just does. When we feel beat—it can lift us up. I used to read books and articles with scripture references and would just pass over the references as though they weren’t even there. What a mistake! That’s why I am in the habit of writing out scripture verses for you to read. The Word of God is the most important thing we can ever read. If we think we have to ‘skip’ something—it should be all the stuff that is not the Word of God.

I’ve noticed that when I start my daily writing with a long scripture—the statistics I am able to access on the internet show that not as many people read. How sad is that? It appears to me that people would generally prefer to read the words of a person more than the Words of God.

So, as I write today—I am giving you the gift of some scriptures that are known for having the power to motivate and inspire those who read them. The question is: Will you read them? Will you choose to be inspired and motivated by the pure spiritual milk offered from the true Word of God? If you do read them, you will grow and find new strength to meet the challenges you are faced with.

Psalm 37:23-24 (NLT) The Lord directs the steps of the godly.  He delights in every detail of their lives.  Though they may stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.

Psalm 32:8 (NLT) The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.  I will advise you and watch over you’.

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) For we are God’s masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 4:20 (NLT) Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Psalm 37:4 (NLT) Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Romans 8:28 (NLT) And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Romans 12:11 (NLT) Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 

1 Corinthians 9:24 (NLT) Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize?  So run to win!

Ephesians 6:7 (NLT) Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT) Always be joyful.  Never stop praying.  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 4:10, 11 (NLT) God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts.  Use them well to serve one another… Do it with all the strength and energy God supplies.  Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.

Declaration: I will find new strength from the power I receive when I read the Word of God.

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee as of the date they were written and posted. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog. This material will be published as a book in 2013, by the grace of God. To subscribe to New Strength, select ‘follow’ in the upper left corner of this page.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, browse: http://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/videos?view=1&flow=grid

Right relationships

May 22

Focus:  Employment

Colossians 3:23 (NKJV) And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

When you have a history of depression and dependency, you might have a history of employment issues, also. It’s hard to do well at a job when you are fighting feelings of despair or having sobriety problems. There are a lot of people who are unhappily employed and quite a few who are not employed at all. It’s actually pretty unusual to find someone who has been employed for a long time and still loves what they do.

Most people go into a new job with the attitude that they will give it their best shot. They want to make a good impression. They start out putting their best foot forward. For a while, they are on the ‘honeymoon’…and then after a while, things might not be so great. They begin to realize the people they work with are real people with a lot of personality quirks and problems.

No matter what the people you work with are like, a job can be exactly what you need for accountability at this time. You might not feel like going in to work, but what happens when you stay home? You feel guilty for not going to work, you lose income that you no doubt need, and being home alone or at odds may not be the best thing for you either.

Just like you need to have people you’re accountable to—you need to take responsibility for your life and be productive. Those may seem like words you’d rather not read, but truthfully, work is healthy for everyone. The Bible says those who don’t work, shouldn’t be entitled to eat. It also says that if someone doesn’t provide for their own—they are worse than an unbeliever. Harsh as it seems—it’s the Word of God.

If you have a hard time facing or keeping a job because of the people—well, that’s something to think about, too. It always comes down to relationships in the conditions of depression and dependency. There is always ‘that person’ or ‘those people’ who make you want to quit, right?

Having good and lasting relationships with people on this planet is the acid test of life itself. God could have created little pseudo earths for each of us so we wouldn’t have to deal with anyone else—but He didn’t do that. He created lots and lots of species of living beings and made them all reproducible. He wanted to have the earth full of living creatures. He knew we wouldn’t all get along perfectly, that some would get along better than others, and that some would have trouble getting along with anyone period.

There are so many characteristics of behavior in all the various animal kingdoms—just like there are lots of commonalities and conflicts among humans. We aren’t all alike for a reason—yet there are many things we can share. The one thing we all have in common—between animals, people, and all created beings—is that we were made by the same Creator, according to His intelligent design. His plan for us was to co-mingle, socialize, and relate to each other.

When you consider the workplace as a testing ground for your faith in God—work can become much more palatable. When you stop thinking about work in terms of whether you like someone telling you what to do, or what not to do—and start thinking about work as a place where God has placed you to live and learn while showing His love and presence—everything changes.

It’s not that hard for us to say to God, ‘Use me’—or, ‘Send me’. We sing songs that say, ‘Show me your ways that I may walk with You’—and then we wonder why we have to put up with people. Well, that’s what it’s all about, if you want to know God and become more like Him. He made all of us—not just the people you get along with, or the ones who believe what you believe, or who smell good. He made us all. So, if we are going to love God—we have to love who and what He made.

I agree, loving all of God’s people is not that easy to do. Even for two people who seem perfectly matched and are crazy in love—living together in harmony becomes a challenge at times. Divorce is rampant and the courts are full of people who eagerly pledged to stay together for the rest of their lives—and now can’t wait to get away from each other.

The only way we can relate to all people with love is because they are all God’s creation. It’s not up to us to decide if they are lovable. God commanded us to love one another.

Declaration: I will view employment as part of God’s plan for my life. I will find new strength as I do my job as unto the Lord. As I love with His love, instead of mine, I’ll become capable of tolerating others and I’ll learn to enjoy working for a living.

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee as of the date they were written and posted. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog. This material will be published as a book in 2013, by the grace of God. To subscribe to New Strength, select ‘follow’ in the upper left corner of this page.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, browse: http://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/videos?view=1&flow=grid

Keeping yourself clean

May 21

Focus:  Staying clean

Jude 1:24-25 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
and to present you faultless
before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
both now and forever.
Amen.

Whatever you are battling, be it depression or some kind of dependency, you will need strong will power to ‘stay clean’ once you have ‘been clean’ for a period of time. Lots and lots of people have been through months and even years of recovery thinking they had their problem beat—and then had a relapse. You know the old saying, ‘pride comes before a fall’.

With the confidence that comes from an extended period of time being free, don’t be surprised if a fleeting thought such as, ‘you’d never become as bad as you were at one time’ passes through your brain—tempting you to just have a little ‘something’ to take the pressure off.

Pressure will come in all kinds of ways to take you back to old patterns. As ugly as depression and addiction are, when you’ve spent a considerable amount of your lifetime in those conditions—at least they are familiar. At melancholy moments—you could fall right back there, so be careful. Be on guard against any compromise for the progress you’ve made. You know you can do this. You’ve made it this far—keep going forward not backward.

Another thing to watch out for is ‘taking a trip down memory lane’. When you are reminded of certain memories that make you feel guilty, sorry, pain, anger, tempted, or lonely…tell yourself that those memories are things of the past. Nothing will change them. Feeling depressed or medicating yourself won’t make a bit of difference as far as what happened back then. You might do things different if you had it to do over again, but you can’t do it over again—so you have to let it go. Leave it there.

We can’t re-do the past, but we can make a better ‘now’—by using the understanding and wisdom we’ve gained from our failures. What you want to work toward is having quiet confidence. By that, I mean a humble kind of confidence—not the kind that is cocky and arrogant about your progress. Humble and respectful confidence—knowing you’ve managed to stay clean for a while—but knowing also that you can’t let down your guard.

It’s good to keep measuring your success and reminding yourself of how long you’ve been free. It’s important in your recovery to know that there was a definite ‘time’ when you said, ‘no more’ and started on a better path. Keeping track of your progress is one of the things that will help you stay on the right road. If you don’t remember an exact date—come as close as you can to it and pick a date that marks the beginning of your ‘better life’. If you don’t have that point in time as a reference, the whole effort could begin to seem vague and the temptation to relapse might be stronger.

With depression, it may be a little more difficult to pinpoint an exact date, but you can still try to think of a general time when you started working harder at controlling your isolation, hopelessness, dark thoughts, and other behavior that is characteristic to the problem. That way, if a day comes along when you want to slip back into your old ways—you’ll be able to tell yourself ‘no’ with more determination.

Spending time in prayer and talking with your Heavenly Father is really important. He knows you better than anyone and He loves to listen to what you have to say. He never gets tired of you asking for His help. He delights in you—His special child. He watches you with hopeful eyes, just like a loving parent watches their child learning to take those important first steps. He is excited for each day of progress you are able to make.

God wants you to succeed. He doesn’t like to see you discouraged any more than He likes to see you overly confident. He wants you to stay at the place of trusting Him completely day by day. He knows every detail of your past and what took your attention away from Him in those days. He can help you stay clean if you keep in close contact with Him.

When we are at the point of brokenness and admit our life is out of control—we also acknowledge we can’t make it without the help of God. At that time—we cry out for help and He gives it. But later, when we’ve been free for a while, it’s easy to slip our hand out of his and begin to think we don’t need Him as much because now ‘we’re doing better’.

The only way to stay clean is to stay close to God. Don’t let progress make you proud and cause you to move away from Him.

Declaration: I will continue to find new strength and stay clean by staying close to God. I will not take my progress for granted and become tempted in subtle ways that could cause me to fall into relapse.

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee as of the date they were written and posted. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog. This material will be published as a book in 2013, by the grace of God. To subscribe to New Strength, select ‘follow’ in the upper left corner of this page.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, browse: http://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/videos?view=1&flow=grid

Forgiveness

May 20

Focus:  Forgetting the past

Galatians 6:1-2 (NIV) Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

I was thinking today about the depth of Jesus’ forgiveness and the quality of His willingness to forgive. The extent of His love is impossible to comprehend.

As humans, it sometimes seems like a big deal for us to forgive someone who has offended us even just a little—when all we have to do is say, ‘okay’. It’s not like it costs us anything more than a tiny bit of pride. For more than a minor offense, it might not be that easy to say, ‘sure, no problem’—especially if we experienced serious pain—but we are still commanded to ‘forgive’.

Think about Jesus and the amount of offense He endured. At any time He could have said, ‘Okay, I changed my mind—this is really not worth it’—or, ‘Okay, I’ll forgive your sins—but that doesn’t mean I’m going to be your friend’.

• According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, the definition of ‘forgive’, is as follows: FORGIVE transitive verb 1 a : to give up resentment of or claim to requital for <forgive an insult>b : to grant relief from payment of <forgive a debt>2: to cease to feel resentment against (an offender) : pardon <forgive one’s enemies>
• Wikipedia says, forgiveness is: the renunciation or cessation of resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, disagreement, or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution.
• The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness this way: ‘to grant free pardon and to give up all claim on account of an offense or debt’.

Today’s popular teachings about co-dependency and boundaries have put strong limitations on the extent of privileges the person who is being ‘forgiven’ should have. Forgiveness, according to God’s standard is so much different than what we have decided is right.

In our generation, people have invented their own definition for the word ‘forgive’. Our interpretation goes more like this: If someone offends you, you can tell them you forgive them, but you don’t ever have to feel obligated to trust them again and you certainly shouldn’t let them back into your life.

True forgiveness should mean the same as, ‘it didn’t happen’, or, ‘I won’t ever bring it up again’. You can’t say you forgive someone and then use that offense against them at a later time. If you really forgive an offense—you forget it.

In the Old Testament of the Bible, there was a completely different standard. Forgiveness was granted when sacrifices or restitution was made. Typically, it was, ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’. In other words, when someone caused you any kind of loss—you were entitled to bring the same burden on them. God was normally approached only through a priest. There were few people—before Christ—who really ‘knew God’.

Jesus came bringing a whole new code of ethics. In the eighth chapter of the book of Hebrews in the Bible, verses ten through twelve, we read: For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: “I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” (NKJV)

The reason Jesus died was so we could be friends with Him, His Father, and the Holy Spirit. God wanted us to know Him. He wanted a closer, real relationship with us. He knew we were failures. He wanted us to become perfect and holy, but He knew we would struggle trying to live up to a perfect standard of Holiness. He wanted a relationship with us so much that He was willing to go to great lengths. A perfect blood sacrifice was the only way He could do it. His Son was the only possible candidate.

Imagine someone offending you and having to see your only child die in order to restore your friendship with the person who offended you. That is unthinkable to us as humans—yet, that is what God did because He loved us and wanted our friendship.

Declaration: When I feel that someone who has offended me is unworthy of my friendship, I will remember the love of God that surpasses all understanding. I will follow His example and be willing to not only forgive, but forget.

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee as of the date they were written and posted. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog. This material will be published as a book in 2013, by the grace of God. To subscribe to New Strength, select ‘follow’ in the upper left corner of this page.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, browse: http://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/videos?view=1&flow=grid

Justice

May 19

Focus: The Everlasting Justice of God

Ezekiel 34:15-16 
I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

Hell is not a popular topic these days. You don’t hear it preached like we did when I was young. But the fact it may not be preached from the pulpit doesn’t release any of us from the responsibility to be aware of the consequences of wickedness. We live in a time when everything is distorted. What was once right and good is often viewed with disdain today.

I seriously doubt whether a particular sermon delivered by Jonathan Edwards in 1741 is still taught in public schools. I remember it from American Literature. The sermon title was, ‘Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God’.

The sermon was written and preached during a period called, ‘The First Awakening’, or ‘The Great Awakening’. This movement that lasted approximately 25 years from 1730 to 1755, swept Protestant Europe and British America, and especially the American colonies during the 1730s and 1740s. It left a permanent impact on American religion.

The Awakening resulted from powerful preaching that gave listeners a sense of deep personal revelation of their need of salvation by Jesus Christ. In contrast to religious rituals and ceremonies, The Great Awakening made Christianity an intensely personal experience to the average person. It fostered a deep sense of spiritual conviction and the need for redemption by encouraging people to search themselves and live their lives according to a new and higher standard of personal morality.

The Great Awakening focused on church members. It challenged their rituals and piety and the established authority. It caused division between old traditionalists and the new revivalists, who encouraged a more personal and emotional involvement in their commitment.

‘Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God’ combined vivid imagery of Hell and many scripture references. It had a powerful impact on the church and is still studied by Christians and historians. In a nutshell, the sermon promotes that ‘There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God.’

There are ten well known ‘considerations’ as follows:

• God may cast wicked men into hell at any given moment.
• The wicked deserve to be cast into hell. Divine justice does not prevent God from destroying the wicked at any moment.
• The wicked, at this moment, suffer under God’s condemnation to hell.
• The wicked, on earth, at this very moment, suffer the torments of hell. The wicked must not think simply because they are not physically in hell, that God (in Whose hand the wicked now reside) is not, at this very moment, as angry with them as He is with those miserable creatures He is now allowing to be tormented in hell, and who, at this very moment, do feel and bear the fierceness of His wrath.
• At any moment God shall permit satan, who stands ready, to fall upon the wicked and seize them as his own.
• If it were not for God’s restraints, there are, in the souls of wicked men, hellish principles reigning which presently, would kindle and flame out into hellfire.
• Simply because there are not visible means of death before them at any given moment, the wicked should not feel secure.
• Simply because it is natural to care for oneself or to think that others may care for them, men should not think themselves safe from God’s wrath.
• All that wicked men may do to save themselves from hell’s pains shall afford them nothing if they continue to reject Christ.
• God has never promised to save us from hell, except for those contained in Christ through the covenant of Grace.

The age in which we live has neutralized the Gospel. We have come to see our God as a tender Shepherd who wouldn’t hurt a flea. We must remember, He is still the Righteous Judge who does not change, and we should do our best to heed His ways.

Declaration: I will seek the God of the Bible, not the God of the modern day pulpit. I will remember He is the Righteous Judge and His Word is everlasting. I will search myself and live by a new and higher standard of personal morality.

Note: Information drawn from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee as of the date they were written and posted. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog. This material will be published as a book in 2013, by the grace of God. To subscribe to New Strength, select ‘follow’ in the upper left corner of this page.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, browse: http://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/videos?view=1&flow=grid

Legacy

May 17

Focus: The legacy of prayer

Jude 1:20-23 (NIV) But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

You may not think of the act of prayer in tangible terms, but the wealth of blessings that have been realized because of it can’t possibly be calculated. There are countless stories of people who were on a wrong road headed for who knows where, but for the prayers of a loving mother or grandmother. That may be your story. Or, it could be the story of someone you know—who you could pray for.

In a time of recovery, it seems like there is little you can do for others. You may not be in a position to offer physical help or finances—but you can pray. You may not see that as the treasure it is. The Bible is so clear regarding the value of prayer and how it can be responsible for saving others from the pit of hell. We tend to take prayer for granted, as though it’s a ‘last resort’ effort. But think of what the Bible says about it and what it can do:

Psalm 107:28-30 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and He brought them to their desired haven.

Matthew 7:7  Ask, and it will be given to you seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Matthew 21:22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.

Mark 9:29  And He said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

Mark 11:24  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

John 14:13-14 Whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it…

Acts 9:40 But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body (of a girl who was dead) he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.

Ephesians 6:18 …praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints…

Philippians 4:6-7 …do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

James 5:14-16 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Prayer changes things. It changes everything. Someday, your life on this earth will be over. You will get to be with all of your loved ones who have gone before you to heaven. Think of the people who are already there who may have prayed for you while they were here. How many can you think of who may have prayed for you while they were on earth? How about older people that you may have never known—who might have prayed for your parents or their parents?  The power of prayer is eternal. You were blessed because of someone else’s prayers. Somewhere along the way someone prayed for you. I did. I prayed that the things I write would make a difference in your life. I

asked God to give me the kind of specific encouragement you needed to read and absorb.

Think of what you’d like to leave behind. Consider more seriously the people you know who could use some extra blessings and give them a legacy by remembering them in prayer.

Declaration: I will find new strength and share it by seeing prayer as my legacy. I will find the courage to ask others how I can pray for them and then I will do it.

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee as of the date they were written and posted. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog. This material will be published as a book in 2013, by the grace of God. To subscribe to New Strength, select ‘follow’ in the upper left corner of this page.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, browse: http://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/videos?view=1&flow=grid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The power of the tongue

May 16

Focus: Speaking powerful words

Psalm 19:14 (NKJV) Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

As we continue to move forward in recovery, an important commitment is speaking powerful words that will help us keep making progress. The first group that followed the twelve-step method was Alcoholics Anonymous, which was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith. The success of these steps has helped millions of struggling people worldwide. The same steps have been adapted to many different uses in the recovery realm.

Knowing the power of the spoken word, I would strongly recommend reading these steps out loud, as I have personalized them, as you see fit. Many people in recovery review these principles on a daily basis in order to keep absolute accountability.

Reading them silently is not as powerful as saying the words out loud:

1. I am nothing without God—my life is unmanageable without Him
2. God can restore my heart, soul, mind, and body
3. By an act of my own will, I am turning myself over to God’s care
4. I will make an honest examination of my moral conduct every day
5. I will admit the exact nature of my wrongs to God and another human being
6. I am ready to have God remove all defects from my character
7. I have humbly asked God to remove my shortcomings
8. I am willing to make a list of all persons I have harmed and I am willing to make amends to all
9. I will make amends to all of them, if possible—except when it would injure them
10. I will continue to take a personal inventory and when I am wrong, I will admit it immediately
11. I will pray and meditate to improve my conscious contact with God asking for His will in my life and the power to carry it out
12. Because of my spiritual awakening and what following these steps has done for me, I will try to help others in their recovery efforts using these same principles

    Declaration: I will find new strength by regularly declaring my intentions as to my desire to recover from depression and dependency. I will find hope and encouragement as I hear my own voice making positive confessions. I will make better progress by submitting myself to absolute accountability.

    All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee as of the date they were written and posted. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog. This material will be published as a book in 2013, by the grace of God. To subscribe to New Strength, select ‘follow’ in the upper left corner of this page.

    For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, browse: http://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/videos?view=1&flow=grid

     

Restoration

May 15

Focus: Making things right

Psalm 139:1-3 (NIV) You have searched me, Lord, and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways.

There are some ways you can expedite the process of restoration in your recovery from depression and addiction. The act of keeping a ‘clean slate’ is extremely helpful and will make it easier for you to not become so easily overwhelmed by your circumstances. As someone comes to your mind who you may have an offense against, or who may have an offense against you—attempt to release the anxiety you associate with that person or the event they were involved with. By eliminating all thoughts of ill will and hatred from your heart and mind, you will not feel as annoyed and irritable. Sleep will come easier and you will experience less tension and anger.

Something that may seem awkward for you to imagine at first, would be the thought of actually doing something thoughtful for a person who has been a source of pain and bitterness in the past. By reaching out to someone who may not deserve it in your mind, you will make yourself feel better—whether their reception is positive or negative.

An act of kindness toward someone who may be undeserving can actually neutralize the level of emotional stress as it relates to that person—on your end and theirs. You may not receive any kind of outward recognition, but the knowledge that you made the effort will feed your own sense of well-being and will cause an improvement for you.

Doing nothing to work toward resolution or restoration generally leads to more alienation and misunderstanding. Making any kind of a positive move requires humility and courage.

Human nature tells us to retreat and ‘let the other person make the first move’. But, scripture encourages us to do the opposite. Romans chapter 12 exhorts that love must be sincere. It tells us to hate what is evil and cling to what is good.

We are further encouraged to be devoted to one another in love, and honor each other above ourselves. We are told not to lack in zeal, but to keep our spiritual fervor in serving the Lord. We are to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. We are reminded to share with the Lord’s people who are in need and to practice hospitality.

The chapter goes on to say that we are to bless those who persecute us and not curse them. We are to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. It is recommended that we live in harmony with one another. We are told not to be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position and not be conceited.

In closing, we are commanded not to repay anyone with evil—even though they may have done evil to us. We must be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. As much as possible, we are told to live at peace with everyone and not take revenge. We are to leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. Instead of seeking revenge, we are told to feed our enemy if he is hungry. If he is thirsty, we are to give him something to drink. In doing this, we will heap burning coals on his head.

In a nutshell, we are not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good. This whole philosophy is an example of how ‘upside down’ human nature is, compared to the spiritual.

You might believe that it’s beyond the realm of possibility in your case, but I would challenge you to attempt it. Ask God to give you an idea and the opportunity to try it out. Think of it as an experiment. All you need is some humility and a little courage.

The reason for restoration is not only so other people will feel better—it’s so that you will feel better, too. Your pride will often keep you from doing anything creative to work toward resolution. Prideful thoughts will give you the impression that any effort you make will be the same as admitting fault. Try not to think about that. How you may appear is not as important as your own peace of mind and wholeness. Think of your reason for making some kind of move as though it is for your own benefit, and maybe it will be easier for you.

If it’s still too difficult—imagine you’re doing your act of kindness for someone else, not the person you have been offended by. Imagine it’s someone you really like and enjoy doing nice things for. Do your best. Put your heart and soul into it. You will be surprised at the results as you push past your feelings of reluctance.

Declaration: I will find new strength by having the humility and courage to work toward restoration with those who I have offended or who may have been offended by me. I will heed the words and encouragement of scripture, knowing I will receive the boldness to follow through, if I am willing to initiate.

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee as of the date they were written and posted. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog. This material will be published as a book in 2013, by the grace of God. To subscribe to New Strength, select ‘follow’ in the upper left corner of this page.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, browse: http://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/videos?view=1&flow=grid

Overcoming

May 14

Focus: Standing firm

Psalm 37:23 (NKJV) The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delights in His way.

God is doing a beautiful work in you. Your recovery is worth every ounce of effort you can contribute. Your job at this point, is to stand firm in the progress you have made and not underestimate the strength of your faith. You must rest in the Lord and praise Him continually regardless of your circumstances.

All of the negative forces that war against you are completely powerless in the presence of praise. Keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus, you will be rewarded with His mercy. Make worship and adoration your chief occupation. Regard it as your first priority—the most important thing on your ‘to do’ list. If you want the Lord to ‘go before you’, you need to praise Him ‘before you go’. By offering Him praise, He comes closer. His Spirit hovers over you and around you.

When your heart is filled with praise, you are covered with the protective shield of God’s glory. Your life is ‘hidden’ by His holiness. When you walk in holiness, the blinding light of the presence of God surrounds you. Evil can’t come close to you.

On the other hand, if you choose the company of those who are not walking in the Spirit—you open yourself to many evil forces. If you could see with your spiritual eyes—you would not want to leave the presence of God. You wouldn’t want to walk into a pit of snakes or venture close to a raging fire—yet, this is what you are doing when you are enticed and attracted by evil. So, keep your distance. Don’t put yourself in a position that could cause you to falter.

Have a healthy respect for how much you have overcome and stay in the middle of the path. Don’t allow yourself to walk on the edge of the road. Stay in the place of safety. Honor the freedom you have received and hold your ground.

Nothing is worth the time it would take you to recover from a relapse. Take no risks. Some doors have been closed to you that will never be open again. This is the doing of the Lord—not an accident or failure on your part. God  sees your future and He knows what is best. He has His eyes on your victory and has purposely removed some options from you in your best interest.

Don’t mourn over the things that didn’t come to pass as you had hoped. Set your sights on the good things ahead. Those things you had hoped for were fleeting pleasures that didn’t offer an eternal weight of glory. Stay on course! You have a purpose yet to be fulfilled. The best days are not behind you—they are yet to come.

Open your heart wide to receive the transforming blessings of God. There is no limit to all He desires to pour out on you. There is much to be done and you will be of much use to the Master if you will allow Him to fill you more fully. You may have been filled in the past, but your capacity has deepened. As your capacity increases—there is room for a greater infilling. So, receive. Breathe in the Holy Spirit of God. Take His abundance into every part of your being. Let there be no empty places—no hidden recesses that have been unpenetrated by His power.

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Draw from His strength each day for every trial you meet. Peace and joy will be yours as you walk in the divine favor that is the reward of obedience. As long as you are connected to your source and are moving in obedience, you will not lack power.

Continue to show compassion and forgiveness to those who have wronged you. The more you are able to release them, the more liberated you will become. Be the example. Be eager to humble yourself. Always give the benefit of the doubt. Remember the model of mercy portrayed by your Savior and Lord.

Stay in the moment. Don’t run ahead of the purposes and plans God has for you. Don’t miss the blessing of today by allowing your thoughts to be consumed with the future. Live in the present. Embrace this moment in time. It is not to be wasted. There is light to be had in this hour.

Your life is a miracle. You have been redeemed. There is nothing to fear or regret. You are loved with an everlasting love. You are held by invisible arms of protection and security. Nothing will harm you if you will stay in the place of shelter. Put aside all doubt and anxiety. God will not allow you to see a bitter end. All He is looking for is the childlike trust of your hand in His—and your feet taking step for step with Him.

Almighty God is your healer and provider. He has given you the blood of the Lamb and the Name of Jesus as unfailing and powerful tokens of His faithfulness. His ever present Holy Spirit is your teacher, comforter, and guide.

Declaration: I will delight myself in the Lord and allow Him to order my steps. I will stand firm as an overcomer and find new strength by daily recalling the promises of God and all He has done for me.

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee as of the date they were written and posted. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog. This material will be published as a book in 2013, by the grace of God. To subscribe to New Strength, select ‘follow’ in the upper left corner of this page.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, browse: http://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/videos?view=1&flow=grid

Pain

May 13

Focus: Pain

1 Peter 5:10 (NKJV) But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

It’s hard to understand the way things work in this life. Some people have things they don’t appreciate or take for granted—and others wish for the same things and seem to have to wait for them, or do without.

Something that caused a lot of pain in my own life that I didn’t understand, was how long I had to wait to be able to have children. I remember some years when it was Mother’s Day—feeling physically sick. It was especially hard going to church and having to ‘sit’ when the pastor would ask all the mothers to stand…or, when they passed out flowers to all the mothers. Sometimes they would give me one, not knowing I was not a mother—but I knew I wasn’t. Year after year, the pain grew worse and worse.

Ironically, I was asked to speak at a lot of Mother’s Day tea parties and banquets. I was able to give another perspective to women who were able to have children without any complications.

I remember in those days how many times young mothers would say to me, ‘you’re so lucky—you have so much freedom’. Yes, I did have freedom. But what I wanted more than anything was to be a mother. I saw my sister’s children growing up and I watched everyone I knew who was my age have children—but I had none.

I would go to large department stores or groceries and see mothers who were annoyed and impatient with their children—and the pain was almost unbearable. One of the hardest things was seeing children who were neglected—wearing dirty clothes or whose little noses were running and the mother didn’t even bother to wipe it. Crying babies broke my heart. I thought it was so unfair that someone should have a child who had no real appreciation for it and was just enduring motherhood—when someone like I, would love to have children and couldn’t.

I recall being at gatherings of women where they would all be talking about their children and sharing stories…and I had nothing to say. More than once, when I was with women I didn’t know—the conversation would be about children and at some point, someone turned to me and said, ‘Do you have children?’ I would shake my head ‘no’…and they would say, ‘oh, well then—you wouldn’t understand’. And they would go back to their conversation as though I wasn’t even there.

The pain of this kind of loss is hard to describe. I was always somewhat of a loner—but as I grew older without children, ‘loner’ was an understatement. I really had nothing in common with anyone. I knew a couple of people who didn’t have children because they didn’t want them—but, I didn’t know anyone who was like me.

When my second marriage failed at age 32, it wasn’t just the end of a marriage—it felt like the end of the world. I figured nobody would want to take a chance on someone who had already failed twice—and I wasn’t even sure it would be alright with God if I were to ever get married again. So, there was a huge void in my life. Failure hardly comes close to describing it.

To this day, I still have feelings of brokenness on Mother’s Day. I can never forget the awful pain. It wasn’t just feeling sorry for myself—it was the kind of grief you have when you lost a family member. No one understood—and I didn’t expect them to. How could they? They hadn’t had to experience it, so it would be impossible for them to know the feeling.

There were people in my life who empathized with me and even appointed me as the person they would like to have be a mother to their children if anything happened to them. Interestingly, at one point—there were eleven children I had been asked to care for, if the parents died an untimely death. I felt very honored that they would trust me with such a special thing as to raise their children, but I loved my friends and certainly didn’t want anything to happen to them, either.

So, Mother’s Day is always a day when I think of those who ‘would be’ mothers, and are not. It’s the worse day of the year for those dear ladies whose pain goes unacknowledged. Sure, it’s a day to celebrate those who are mothers. But, never think for one minute that someone who is not a mother has no depth. They have carried a cross that is invisible—but none the less, they have carried it.

Declaration: I will appreciate those who are mothers—and those who ‘would be’ but are not. On days of celebration, I will try to remember the ones who are not being celebrated and pray for the grace of God to minister to their needs.

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee as of the date they were written and posted. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog. This material will be published as a book in 2013, by the grace of God. To subscribe to New Strength, select ‘follow’ in the upper left corner of this page.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, browse: http://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/videos?view=1&flow=grid