“What are you free to stop doing and start doing when you know Jesus to be your King?”

That’s a loaded question, isn’t it? Notice how the first part of the question gives you an opportunity to make a decision for yourself–inside of being free you have the liberty of choosing to stop doing “something” and begin “doing” another thing. In the latter part of the question it allows a decision to actually “know” that Jesus is King. In there lies the rub.

A lot of people I’ve met in my life claim to know God and Jesus, but He wasn’t King of their lives. Let’s be honest, we humans don’t like being told what to do; this is an area I still struggle with in my own personality. Recognizing this character flaw is why I like Step 3 from Celebrate Recovery: “Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control”. 

What about “free will”?

There is a context in which the position of free will does have biblical support: the grave responsibility of making choices. Because beneath the canopy of God’s sovereignty, man does have free will. In the beginning, God established the principle of choice by giving Adam and Eve an entire garden containing a forbidden tree—this, but not that—a thread that weaves through the tapestry of future generations into the present.

“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…” (Joshua 24:15)

“Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” (John 7:17)

Scripture also states clearly that…

• making choices is a crucial part of our lives 
• that we will all be held accountable for the choices that we make 
• and that our choices can grieve the Lord or please Him (source crosswalk.com)

What do you need to surrender? Maybe it’s how you spend your leisure time. Do you get caught up in scrolling social media comparing your life to someone else? Is there a habit that is causing you deep heartache….visiting websites that are harmful? Pornography is an addiction, not a healthy escape. Do you unwind after a hard day from work with a few drinks? In excess, alcohol is addictive. Even stuffing your emotions with excess food–mainly sugar–is addictive. Did you know that most addictions cause the same responses in the human brain? 

Addiction is now understood to be a brain disease. Whether it’s alcohol, prescription pain pills, gambling, nicotine or something else, overcoming an addiction isn’t as simple as just stopping or exercising greater control over impulses. That’s because addiction develops when the pleasure circuits in the brain get overwhelmed, in a way that can become chronic and sometimes even permanent. This is what’s at play when you hear about reward “systems” or “pathways” and the role of dopamine when it comes to addiction. (source yalemedicine.org)

What do you need to surrender?  Maybe now is the time to take a heartfelt inventory of your life, your character flaws, evaluate what you think you know about Jesus and move towards taking a seat in the humility section of life and ask  some hard questions. Find people who have known Jesus for a long time, whose lives you watch and wonder how they are kind, loving, full of peace and joy…no matter their circumstances.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”. (Matthew 11:28)

These are the very words of Jesus. He offers an invitation to “all”. Weariness creates feeling burdened, but there is hope!  He acknowledges our struggles and pain and remedies it with “rest”…..the kind of rest that our addictions cannot give!

At Celebrate Recovery I’ve met people who have surrendered their addiction to pornography, gambling, anger, pride, alcohol and drugs, codependency….numerous habits.  As a group of flawed men and women, we are surrendering….adopting healthy habits….leaning into Jesus….and bringing the good news of Jesus to others.

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Celebrate Recovery meets every Tuesday at Fowlerville United Brethren in Christ Church. Meetings begin with a meal at 6 followed by large group at 7. We have several groups for men and women for a variety of recovery struggles: sexual integrity, chemical substance abuse, general issues, codependency, and *mental health (*women only at this time) All adults age 18+ are welcome! Meetings are safe & confidential. For more information please email: celebraterecovery@fowlervilleub.org

Habits. We all have some. Grabbing your first cup of coffee each morning. Looking out your window to take in the morning view, checking the weather, making breakfast, watching the clock to get showered and in the car if you have a regular job to get to on time. 

Habits are good. They keep us on an orderly schedule if followed with discipline. Some habits are not beneficial to us…sleeping in too long which causes stress getting out the door on time. Stopping for a drive through breakfast which decreases finances and increases caloric intake that maybe isn’t the healthiest option if chosen far too often. 

Personally, I no longer have a regular job outside our home that dictates my morning schedule. It’s rare that I need to be “somewhere” most mornings which allows me the luxury of waking when I’m ready, grabbing a mug of coffee that’s already been brewed, and settling in my usual chair with my Bible, notebook, and whichever devotional I’m currently using to take me through scripture. My favorite is the YouVersion app which is downloaded on my phone. 

What about “spiritual habits”?  Lent is a good time to start some good habits. Where to begin? This season is a great time to begin making prayer a daily habit. If you try structuring your life around God but don’t take the time to talk to Him, you will find it difficult to keep your desired focus on God. 

If you’re not sure where or how to begin praying, I suggest praying through the Lord’s Prayer: 

“‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name, 

your kingdom come,

your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.”

These are Jesus’ own words from Matthew 6: 5-15.

Finding time to pray doesn’t not have to be cumbersome. God isn’t looking for that perfect person who is able to devote lengthy minutes or hours in solitude with Him–although there are some devout Christ followers who enjoy that luxury! No, what He truly loves is that we give Him a portion of our day talking with Him. You might do so as you shower…on your commute to work…maybe sitting alone at a table in your lunch room at work or school…going for a walk on your break. Wherever you can carve out intentional time, remember He is with you always as a constant companion, a best friend waiting for a good conversation!

May  you feel encouraged today and always that God is always waiting to draw near to you and nothing you say to Him could ever stop Him from loving you. Nothing–!

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4: 6

A trip to any store and visiting its “seasonal” aisle quickly reveals what current holiday or observance our culture is enjoying. It seems we have just put away Christmas decor, which was replaced by all things related to Valentine’s Day–cards, candy, plush toys, and more candy. As with any holiday Americans celebrate, there’s a lot of marketing preparation that takes place to lure us to spend a lot of money on only one day. Now, because February 14 is behind us, red and white hearts galore are replaced with all things spring–most of it connected to Easter which is a Christian celebration of the “Church”. Seasonal aisles will be filled with chocolate bunnies, egg coloring kits and plastic eggs, cards, baskets full of treats, plush bunnies and lambs, and don’t forget those paczkis on Fat Tuesday!…all things we associate with Spring, yet often omitting the truth of this sacred day–Jesus. Oh, before you get upset, yes–sometimes you can find a chocolate cross alongside the bunny ones. Beyond those, in American culture there’s not a lot of Jesus in the way many families observe what I like to call “Resurrection Sunday” versus Easter.

But, what about Lent? This year Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day fell on the same day, the 14th. 

You may have seen Christians, mostly Catholics, walking around with a smear of ash on their foreheads and wondered what it meant. The practice of Ash Wednesday is symbolic within the Christian church to recognize our frailty as humans. It also marks the beginning of the Lent season.Although Ash Wednesday is enriched with Christian symbolism, we don’t actually find an instance of this particular holiday in the Bible. The holiday didn’t have a biblical origin, but owing to the Council of Nicea implementing a 40-day fasting period prior to Easter, many debated as to when that period would start. In the fifth century, Pope Gregory transferred the beginning day of Lent from a Sunday to Ash Wednesday. However, fasting and prayer have strong Biblical foundations and guidelines.

The symbolism of repentance and grief continues from Ash Wednesday into the Lenten season through the observation of fasting and prayer.  The 40 days of Lent symbolize the period of fasting and spiritual preparation that Jesus underwent in the wilderness before beginning His public ministry. This time of reflection and self-denial is observed by Christians as a way to spiritually align themselves with Jesus’ journey and to prepare their hearts for Easter, the celebration of His resurrection.

The story of Jesus’ temptation is recounted in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. After being baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where He fasted for 40 days and nights. During this time, Satan tempted Him three times, each time trying to exploit His hunger and weakness. Jesus resisted each temptation by quoting Scripture and reaffirming His commitment to God. This story highlights Jesus’ victory over temptation and serves as an example of spiritual fortitude and reliance on God’s Word. (source: biblestudytools.com)

From a devotional I began on Ash Wednesday it says “The purpose of Lent isn’t to ‘better’ your life, but to center your life on what matters most: the One who made you and died for you. And one of the ways you do this is through practicing spiritual habits.”

While store aisles are filled with all things our culture deems as necessary for celebrating Easter…Resurrection Sunday … .together let’s make space for what matters. What matters? Jesus and how you respond to His gospel and plan for salvation.