Carried By His Wings© -- Sexual Purity Recovery

Wings Devotional Recovery ... May 26, 2008

Just For Today – Step Five -- Candor

STEP FIVE:   Is the discipline of Confession.

STEP FIVE: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another person the exact nature of our wrongs.

“Therefore Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”  --James 5:16a

"When we reached AA, and for the first time in our lives stood among people who seemed to understand, the sense of belonging was tremendously exciting.  We thought the isolation problem had been solved. But we soon discovered that while we weren’t alone any more in a social sense we still suffered many of the old pangs of anxious apartness.  Until we had talked with complete candor of our conflicts, and had listened to someone else do the same thing, we still didn’t belong.  Step Five was the answer. It was the beginning of true kinship with man and God."

© 1952, AAWS, Inc.; Printed 2005; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 57 Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, and the Big Book are registered trademarks of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services.  Just For Today is neither endorsed by, approved by, associated, nor affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., or The AA Grapevine, Inc.

Wings Devotional© Daily Meditation Translation

is property of Wings Of Eagles Recovery©

Just for Today -- A Daily Devotional

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Being in active addiction brings us to such a point of isolation that we sometimes forget what it means to belong.  We have to isolate because we are in fear of ‘being discovered’.  When we enter into recovery and walk into a recovery group, we quickly learn that there are others just like us and those people immediately embrace us and care for us.  Yes, we do have an incredible sense of belonging that we have not felt for a very long time.

But we still where several masks because there are things in our lives that are not so “pretty” and things we feel we still want to hide from.  But at some point we see others in our group begin to expose things that are wrong in their characters, and we begin to see that those that are sharing are still loved as they are – the difference between them and me is that they are sharing in humility and have a desire to change these wrongs. 

Beginning to be honest with God, ourselves and another person is the start of a deep cleansing process we HAVE to go through in order to recover.  We see as we practice this Step and as others do the step that we are 1) still loved by God; 2)  still loved by those in the group; and 3)  on the way to removing those traits and wrongs to a healthy recovery.

By confessing we are acknowledging our sins and with God are asking forgiveness thereby restoring our fellowship with Him, then all things are possible.

13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed.  They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out."

14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

15 (One day) the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?"

16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all.  He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.

18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds.

19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly.  When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.

20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. -- Acts 19:13-20

* As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

·        greater personal discipline,

·        worldwide persecuted Christians,

·        Hedge of protection to our children

·        Blessings to our spouses

·        Godly men in Government

·        Rest and Peace to our pastors

·        Your activities for the day.

Love One Another

Stand Together

Fight this war, no matter the cost

Pray for our children

Turn our hearts toward heaven

Seek to be one nation under God.

God Bless and Guide You in your Christian Walk Today

“The Lord bless you and keep you,
the Lord make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”
-- Numbers 6:24-27

You can help when no one else can."
  -- c. 2001, Alcoholics Anonymous, page 89
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