Celebrate Recovery Weekly Encouragement 11-15-23

Not My Will but Yours Lord:

At some point in our lives, everyone has felt like a boat lost in the ocean: adrift, scared, and lost. Life can be too much at times, with lots of problems and unknowns. Everywhere you look, there seem to be problems, and no way to solve them. But there is one light that can guide everyone: God.

If you want to know what the Bible says, read Proverbs 3:5–6. It says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding." Allow Him to direct your paths.

Giving our lives and wills over to God doesn't mean giving up our freedom or independence. What it really means is an act of trust, like admitting that there is a Higher Power that can help us get through life's roughest waves. Giving up power isn't the point; the point is to let go and let God.

Matthew 11:28 says, "Come to me, all you who are tired and burdened, and I will give you rest." God is calling us all. It is God's plan for us to follow when we give Him our fears, our burdens, and the reins of our life. He cares for, guides, and protects us, so we can rest easy in His strong hands.

"Submit yourselves, then, to God," says James 4:7-8 (NIV). The devil will run away from you if you stand up to him. "Get close to God, and he will get close to you." To give up and trust God, you have to be humble and open. We need to fight the urges that would take us off of God's road and grow closer to Him in faith.

"Not my will, but Yours, be done" (Luke 22:42 NIV) in a brave way today as we stand at different points. As we give our lives over to God, may we believe in His plans, do what He says, and walk with confidence, knowing that He is always with us. We go from worry to peace, from fear to faith, and from hopelessness to faith when we do this. Don't forget that God always has us by our sides. The one who made the world walks with us, leads us, and loves us no matter what.

This is something that is a process for most of us in recovery. I know I didn’t wake up one day, flip a switch and it was rainbows and unicorns. As a matter of fact it’s been the opposite. Daily praying for God to take over control of my life and my will so that I can learn to lean on him.

Prayer:
Father, I trust you and love you. I ask that you take control of my life and will and bring me closer to you. Please help me to grow closer to you. Mold me and make me into the men/woman of God that you want me to be, In Jesus name Amen!



Brian Willems CADC1
Ministry Leader
Celebrate Recovery
New Life Community Dinuba

This week we will be hearing from our Ministry Leader Brian!
He will be sharing how God has taken him from over 30 years of addiction and maladaptive behavior and is transforming him into a man of God. He is also a BCJC member and is active in volunteering with almost anything to do with recovery. You guys are not going to want to miss this testimony!