Preparing this week’s article allowed me to reflect that it’s been just over a year that I’ve had the privilege to be given space each week to write on a variety of topics. I’m grateful for those of you who have let me know how much you enjoy my writings, giving me positive encouragement, letting me acknowledge how you smile, chuckle at something I wrote about, or were encouraged in response to a topic with Christian perspective. By now, you’ve hopefully come to realize my passion for the gospel, the truth of who God is and the validity of scripture. Having said all that, “thank you” for taking time to read each week’s thoughts. Also, by now, I hope you’re fully aware of my role in Celebrate Recovery and what this faith based 12 step program can do for you as it has done for me. 

This week, I’m focusing on Step 3: “We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God”. The verse that accompanies this step is from Romans 12:1: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.”

Whenever there is a “therefore” in scripture, it’s prudent to look at the preceding verses to see what the writer is focused on when making the transition. In this case, Paul is writing to explain how God gave mercy through Christ, a Jew, to the Jewish people–the Israelites–and though many of them lived in disobedience to Him Paul goes on to explain that the Gentiles are now also included in this “disobedient” group, not to punish but that He (God)  may have mercy on them “all”. (Rom. 11: 32) Chapter 11 ends with these questions: “Who has known the mind of the Lord?” “Or who has been His counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?”  For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. (Emphasis mine) 

Our family lightheartedly adopted a small catchphrase we use when it’s clear a choice or decision has been made–”you’re in charge of your choices”. It may have been as simple as allowing our children as toddlers to choose their clothing for the day (no matter how mis-matched they were) or how we make numerous decisions every day regarding use of our time, what foods we will eat, which social invitations to accept or reject, to exercise or not. Other decisions carry more weight. Will I forgive someone who has deeply hurt me? Will I join my friend in telling a lie to cover up an indiscretion? Will I help that person whose struggles have been tugging at my purse strings for several days?

While daily decisions come and go, often made out of routine habits, Step 3 teaches us that a decision to “commit all my life and will to Christ’s care is a “conscious” one that requires thought, discovering who God is through the person of Jesus Christ, and digging into all scripture to know His character and deep love for everyone. The last part of this step is a bonus I hope you don’t miss–”Christ’s care and control”. If you were to imagine holding out your hands with palms facing up, holding “every” care and concern that is weighing you down, with  an ability empowered by “an act of your own will”,  releasing the pile in your hands to God, you’ll get a picture of allowing Him to take those and carry them for you.

Each step in the Celebrate Recovery program has an accompanying verse from the beatitudes recorded in the Book of Matthew. For Step 3 we use “Happy are the meek” (Matthew 5:5) What does it mean to be “meek”?

To be meek is to be gentle, humble, lowly. “The meek are the ‘gentle’… those who do not assert themselves over others in order to further their own agendas in their own strength, but who will nonetheless inherit the earth because they trust in God to direct the outcome of events.” ESV Study Bible notes.

John Gill’s  commentary seems to assert this – meek people don’t envy, don’t retaliate, and exercise patience in the face of adversity. 

Matthew Henry adds that the meek show joy and happiness under dire circumstances. No matter what happens in the world around them, they latch on to God’s provision and plan for their lives. 

The opposite of meekness is defined by Merriam-Webster  as egotistic, pompous, haughty, and aggressive. Through this, we see a different picture of meekness. It isn’t a doormat mentality or silence in the face of injustice. Instead, it doesn’t retaliate when wronged and doesn’t exude pride and narcissism. The type of person most people would think would rule the earth likely exhibits some of the traits listed above. At least, it fits the bill for the Roman emperors during the time of Jesus. (source: biblestudytools com) 

It’s estimated that over 5-7 million people have benefited from attending Celebrate Recovery meetings. More So than folks entering a Christ centered recovery program, Christianity is growing!  This may surprise many, but Christianity is growing around the world and is growing faster than the rate of population. From 2020 to the mid-point of 2024, the world’s population is expected to grow from more than 7.84 billion people to more than 8.11 billion, a 0.87% growth trend. The number of Christians worldwide is expected to climb from more than 2.52 billion to 2.63 billion, a 1.08% growth. The Christian population is projected to top 3 billion before 2050. (source: lifewayresearch.com)  That EXCITES me! This growth tells me a couple of things 1) the gospel is indeed being preached and spread 2) people are making decisions to come into a relationship with the living God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

The numbers above are huge. It’s hard for me to imagine a million people let alone billions, but I CAN comprehend being among those who are counted as Christ followers as well as ONE who made my own conscious decision 40+ years ago, placing my trust in Him. Yet, admitting my inability to fully comprehend how God takes on the enormous task of caring for every person who makes up His followers, I have experienced “releasing my cares to Him” and that’s a feeling that keeps me living in boundaries of faith and hope when life gets hard. My own experiences are now a prayer, too, that more of you will join us on Tuesday evenings at Celebrate Recovery. We meet at Fowlerville UB Church with a meal at 6 pm. Large group begins at 7, followed by share groups at 8. For more information please email: celebraterecovery@fowlervilleub.org 

GOD, THE ULTIMATE FIXER-UPPER

The advent and popularity of “do-it-yourself” and “fixer upper” television shows have broadened my appeal for watching amateurs or professionals take a dilapidated or older home and turn it into a stunning new residence. When I was a child I often accompanied my dad to properties that were being demolished as he was the first person I ever knew who found a way to “repurpose” lumber, fixtures, windows, etc. that otherwise would have made their way to the city dump. In the past few years, I’ve watched my oldest adult niece find pieces of furniture on curbsides, take them home and with a lot of elbow grease, sanding, repairing and applying a fresh coat of stain or paint, she’s turned someone else’s discarded trash into beautiful pieces that have been sold to new homes. I guess you could say that “restoring” and “repurposing” is a generational trait in my family!

Such it is with God, too!

Last week I wrote about Step #1 from the Celebrate Recovery program, stating our admission that compulsive behaviors or addictions cause our lives to become unmanageable. In Step #2 we “came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity”. I think we all know the opposite of being sane, which is insane, further popularized by the definition of “doing something over and over again expecting a different result”. That repetitive behavior is a character flaw of our human nature. Left to our own devices, we will most certainly fail.

When my dad or niece have restored a broken piece of furniture, sometimes a different method was used to repair wood that had lots of scratches, missing pieces or several layers of paint full of cracks and wrinkles. I remember when a downtown fourier business in Saginaw suffered a fire, my dad was allowed to go into the building and look around the debris. He spied a washstand that had all its pieces intact, but the top portion of the mirror frame was scorched from the flames. He literally carried the washstand home under his arms. Using his woodworking skills he reassembled the stand, made new pieces, stripped away the old stain and applied fresh color when the wood was ready. He even salvaged the marble slab that was part of the stand and this beautiful antique was part of their living room for many years. In order to retain a “piece of its story”, he left the blackened portion of the mirror’s frame, a reminder of what the washstand had endured as well as an interesting focal point for conversation.  Although the washstand no longer served its  original purpose of holding a wash basin, it became the perfect place for a lamp that served as a “night light” in the late hours of the evening. 

God is in the business of “restoring” and “repurposing” our lives, too. Paul wrote in Philippians 2:13 “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose”. If we imagine and admit that sometimes our lives are broken, that they are messy, and for some people, hopeless, we CAN come to Him for the renewal we need. The beauty of Celebrate Recovery is that we who attend meetings are there because we want to rather than someone demanding our attendance. Most who attend gladly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the higher power that the 12 Step programs talk about in their meetings. Yet, no one is ever forced to believe in Jesus to be part of this wonderful recovery program. An invitation to know God and come into relationship with Him is always offered and the majority of men and women who attend weekly meetings are followers of Christ.

Another piece of furniture my dad brought home was a huge heavy sideboard cabinet. He had made an inspection visit to a home one morning and noticed the cabinet. It was made from solid cherry wood, was in very poor condition and to his dismay dirty soiled diapers were piled on its counter area. Dad was able to ask the homeowners if they would be willing to part with the sideboard, asked them to discuss a fair price and give him a call at his office. He was shocked when they told him he could have it for “free”. Apparently, they had attached no sentiment or value to the item. After cleaning it up, stripping it and refinishing the wood, it became a dining room piece in my parents home for years until my brother took it for his own home. Dad had a piece of marble that he was able to fit on that sideboard, too. He always seemed to find free treasures and have just the right stuff at home in his woodshop to complete a project. That’s how God works, too. 

He has all the right circumstances and pieces to put us back together when we’ve allowed life’s hurts, habits and hangups to wear us down, strip us of our original beauty, or thwart our purpose. He can accomplish renewal and restoration for us by Himself or use others as part of the plan which is another beautiful aspect of Celebrate Recovery. Although we work on our own “stuff”, we have friends who listen, encourage, support, pray, but never try to “fix” us. He may allow us to be “refined” by going through His fire, and like the scorched wood of my dad’s antique wash stand, also give permission for visible scars to remain and be a reminder of His handiwork. 

Writing this week’s article allowed me to fondly recall the numerous things my dad brought home to “fix” rather than see it go to the dump. Some things DO belong in the trash, but not everything. That’s the way it is for us humans, too. Many habits are trashed. Hurts need to be talked about. Hang ups need to be redirected. And to make that possible, we make a decision to tap into the Higher Power of Jesus Christ!

Invaders.

Along with the arrival of spring which brings warmer weather, the ability to open windows to enjoy fresh air comes with an added disadvantageous feature. The arrival of “invaders”. In our case it’s seeing more spiders in corners than usual, the seemingly ever-present box elder bugs, stink bugs, the what I call “lady bug wanna-bes”, and most recently, ants. While all of these are not welcome guests in our home, I most detest the ants because they come out of nowhere, they scurry across the kitchen counter or floors in search of a morsel. It seems no matter how well we clean up our messes, these outside inhabitants prefer to see what our cupboards have to offer.

Recently, I counted squishing about 12 ants in the kitchen before the day was over. Finding one or two isn’t enough to cause me alarm, but when their numbers increase I go on the defense. Thankfully, doing a search online has given me numerous homemade recipes that trap our lil visitors, feed their hungry bellies and they either succumb or take the “bait” back to the nest like the good sharers they are, and bingo! By feeding their friends my “potion” the colony dies and my ant problem is solved.

If only cleaning up my own behavior were so easy. I know that by being a Christ follower my Heavenly Father desires that I live a godly life. Therefore, Paul’s words from Romans 8: 13-14 serve as nourishment for my hungry spirit—“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

Furthermore, in 1 Corinthians 10:13 Paul writes—“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful, He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Contrasting how I’m catching ants with a tasty trap to rid them from our home to that of how God desires to remove unwanted behavior or the presence of poor habits in my life is pause for reflection. Thankfully, God doesn’t have to “trick” me into biting into His word which is the holy bible. When I or you come into relationship with Him He plants a desire in our spirit to crave reading scripture, talking and listening to Him, and merely once a day but to “pray without ceasing… give thanks in all circumstances….” (Paraphrased from 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18)

In the 12 step program which we use at Celebrate Recovery #1 states “We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors, that our lives had become unmanageable.”

Ants come into our house looking for food. They have no ability to comprehend their presence is unwelcome. Like other creatures, they are acting on instinct. I, on the other hand, and you—as humans—are the only beings that know right from wrong, have a conscience, and freewills. Unfortunately, for some, poor choices can lead to a life of addiction and behavior choices that destroy everything around us such as relationships, workplace stress, even physical illness.

Because Celebrate Recovery relies heavily on the validity of scripture, a verse from the beatitudes accompanies Step 1. It says: “Happy are those who know that they are spiritually poor.” (Matthew 5: 3a)

Happy? Not miserable? Yes, happy, in the sense that partnering admitting our powerlessness with acknowledging that we can be spiritually poor gives us the power and motivation to change when we truly surrender egos, pride and a need to be in control over to God.

Unlike the pesky bugs that I have described as “invaders as being a nuisance, it’s a wonderful concept that God WANTS to invade our minds and hearts. Over time, our relationship with Him grows as His Holy Spirit waters and feeds our daily thoughts, actions, and circumstances.

Aren’t you happy that He doesn’t trick us into coming to Him? On the contrary, the answers and solutions most of us are seeking can be found easily. They are contained in all of scripture. When we dine, when we feast, when we digest its contents and “share” the treasures with others, we all thrive.

——

Celebrate Recovery meets every Tuesday, beginning at 7 pm, at Fowlerville UB Church. If you’re ready to find out how to begin a new way of dealing with lifes’ hurts, habits & hangups, check us out!

What are some things that only happen one time? I’m listing a few, however, I realize there are many things that could make the grouping exhaustive.

• Being born
• Dying
• A first job
• Purchase first car
• Birth of first child
• Breaking that first bone
• Loss of a loved one
• Viewing a newly released movie hit
• Losing a first tooth
• Falling in love

Easter 2024 has come and gone. This sacred day has been celebrated in Christian churches for over 2,000 years, a repetition I pray we never grow weary or apathetic in our hearts and minds as we remember Friday’s death that was overcome with Sunday’s resurrection! Jesus’ “one time death and one time resurrection” sealed God’s plan for the salvation of mankind. Romans 6:10 says: “For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God”. 

In our list of “one time events” we can add in the events of Holy Week. On Good Friday the words “it is finished” echoed in church services worldwide. What did Jesus mean when He spoke those words as His spirit left His body?

“It is finished” indicates Christ had finished the redemptive work he set out to do since the first prophecy in Genesis 3 (and likely much before then). Because sin had entered the world, a cup of wrath existed. Either man or God had to drink it. So Jesus set out to fulfill the 300+ prophecies found in the Old Testament, telling how God would come to earth and take our place on the cross. (source: biblestudytools.com)

Another item we can add to the list is our individual attendance of services offered during Holy Week? As I reflect over the past 40 years of my journey of faith, I have clear memories of sanctuaries overflowing with people coming to Easter service. In the church I grew up in, our sanctuary could easily seat over 750 people. Often, the balcony was used for overflow. With each passing year attendance slowly dropped. By the time we left to move from Saginaw, average attendance was well below 100. Although various factors are the cause of great decline, one thing stands out–Easter drew in people who often did not attend church the other 51 weeks of the year. And, today, from my current observations, this remains true.

• Go to church on Easter and/or Christmas

If we only did some things one time, we’d fail miserably: drive a car one time and expect to be excellent, practice a sport and anticipate to be an all-star player, tell our child “I love you” and trust they’ll remember it for life, eat healthy for one day, train one day to run a marathon…I think you get the idea.

The only decision we need to make “one time” is how to respond to God’s gift of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. His sacrifice will not be repeated again–remember, that was taken care of over 2,000 years ago. However, since that event, we continue to have the opportunity to respond to the gift placed in front of us when the message of the gospel is preached. It is God’s heart that “no one perish”, that you not be separated from Him for all of eternity when you take your last breath.

A beautiful trait of God is that He is patient. He is loving. He is merciful. He also is waiting for each person to respond to Him with the decision of “Lord, I believe….” and IF those words are muttered in death’s last breath, you become His child and will be with Him forever. How do I know this to be true?

My father’s oldest brother chose to live his life not being part of God’s family by attending church or embracing a relationship with Him. As he lay in a hospital bed dying various family members visited and prayed “for” him. Before he left this world, he surrendered and said “yes, Lord, I believe.” He had one last chance and he took it. In his last breath of life in the flesh, God breathed new life into his spirit.