“Each of our lives is tangled up with hurts that haunt our hearts, hang-ups that cause us pain, and habits that mess up our lives.” (Baker, page 1)
Ouch! What a sting those simple words can bring. And immediately I begin the defense – I’m only hurt because of what other people did to me. I don’t have hang-ups, that’s just the way I am. Habits? They’re coping skills necessary to deal with life & the people around me. We’ve all done it, allowing the behaviors and attitudes to continue.
But hope is here! January 2013 marks not only a new year, but a new journey in your life. It’s a time for change … to shed the habits, hurts & hang-ups that affect your relationships, your life, and your walk with Christ. Using the book “Life’s Healing Choices” by John Baker as our discussion tool, the GCH: Victorious Healing ministry will lead you on this journey to joyful change, freedom, and blessings only He can provide to us.
RECOVERY. What comes to your mind when you see or hear this word? Do you brush it off as something only addicts or alcoholics deal with? Or do you think only of illness, surgery or other physical ailments? The truth is very simple. We all have hurts in our life that require healing. Some of us choose to symptomatically treat our hurts with food, chemical substances, spending sprees, toxic relationships, and more. But true healing, not just masking of symptoms, is possible only through the power of Christ in our lives. RECOVERY.
There are eight basic principles we will uncover during our study together:
- Realize I am not God.
- Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me. Consciously choose to commit my life and will to Christ’s care & control.
- Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God and to someone I trust.
- Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life.
- Evaluate all my relationships.
- Reserve a daily time with God.
- Yield myself to God to be used to bring His love & Good News to others.
What areas of your life do you have power (control) over? What areas of your life are spinning out of control? What coping skills do you use to get attention, or protect yourself? How do you handle pain & disappointment? What hinders our ability to admit our need for change, or help?
“I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” (Invictus by Henley). What comes to mind when you read those words? For me, it’s a sad commentary on how many of us live our lives. So often we believe we can handle our lives on our own. We determine our futures and no one will keep us from doing what we want, dream, or desire. Our decisions will only affect us. No one can tell us what to do. But this idea is what causes so much of our pain. Until we realize that we are not in control of our lives, and allow God to do what He intended for us, our pains, hurts, habits, and hang-ups will continue.
Are you ready to “let go, and let God”?
In “Studies in the Sermon on the Mount” by Oswald Chambers “There must be a dominant, personal, passionate devotion to Him, and only then are all other relationships right.”
God tells us “You can’t heal a wound by saying it’s not there” (Jeremiah 6:14 TLB). How many times do we try to ignore our hurts by saying we’re fine, or nothing’s wrong? How often do we try to tend to issues by our own power because we don’t want to burden others, or appear weak or “out of control?”Denial only hinders our growth more, freezing us in our pain, insecurities, and worry even more. Denial encourages us to keep secrets as we continue to pretend that our lives are going well. Denial brings shame, anxiety, and a false sense of protection from our pain.
The admission of our powerlessness is the first step on our journey. From here, we need to leave to stop denying our pain. There’s only one God, and you ain’t Him, so stop trying to control your life as if you are.
God promises so much more.
- Light in our darkness (1 John 1:5-7).
- Rescue from the darkness (Ps 107:13-14).
- Healing from our pain (Jeremiah 30:17).
So, join us this week as we explore this principle deeper. Instead of packing for a journey, get ready to unpack all that baggage you’ve been carrying around! But I warn you, this journey won’t be an easy one. However, I promise that we have the best Guide with us because He promises to never leave us, nor forsake us. Ever!
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Reading Assignment for Week 1:
Chapter 1 of Life’s Healing Choices
Monday: Laurie will discuss Principle 1
Tuesday: Leslie will discuss The Cause of our Problems
Wednesday: Kim will discuss The Cure for our Problems
Thursday: Amy will discuss Make The Choice, Action Steps to make it real in your life
Friday: Laurie will bring it all back home with a recap of our week
Restoration is possible. Will you move towards this for your life … today?
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Principle 1 Power Verses:
Jeremiah 6:14
Ecclesiastes 11:4
Job 30:27
Romans 7:15-17
Proverbs 14:12
Job 17:11
Psalm 6:6-7
2 Corinthians 1:9
If you would like to join this amazing online Bible study, click HERE to sign up. Once you are registered, we will email you further details.
If you would like to send Amy a personal message in regards to today’s blog, please email her at: Amy@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.
About Amy Butterfield
amy, i appreciate this encouragement: "I warn you, this journey won’t be an easy one. However, I promise that we have the best Guide with us because He promises to never leave us, nor forsake us. Ever!" amen and amen! <3
Thank you so much, Amy, for the outline and the power verses. Praying God will use you and Laurie mightily in this group study and that we can use what we gain here to help others for God's glory.
The "you ain't him, so stop trying to be"….ouch! I am so guilty of trying to control everything about my day, and find myself dropping to my knees time and again asking forgiveness for not allowing Him to guide my footsteps!! I love the scriptures shared!!
Me too!' I'm copying each scripture into my journal!! I love His word.
Thank you Amy for pouring your whole heart out for us to read. I am struggling right now with a healthy diet. Being at a healthy weight and God and I are on this journey together. Food can be a drug and for me ? God and I will victor together through this study.
Amy – thank you so much for sharing your heart with us. You are absolutely right that He will guide us through this study and give us the strength to face the hurts and hangups we have been holding onto for so long. I am so excited to start this journey with this group. When we start this journey together, praying and encouraging one another, we will finish what He has planned and come out Victorious.
I want to let go and let God, I want to be "out of control and loving it" I pray God will help me to turn lose the reigns and give Him complete control of my life one more time. The thing is, I keep surrendering it to Him only to get a ways down the road and say ok God, I got it now, thank you!
Amy, I love what you said,"But true healing, not just masking of symptoms, is possible only through the power of Christ in our lives". My trying to live by masking the symtoms did not work and nearly almost killed me. Today I know only Jesus can give me true healing. Thank you for kicking off this great study for this journey we are all on together with Jesus as our guide >3