Actions

How many times have we heard the words "I am only hurting myself"? In reality who do our actions effect? Just ourselves? Hardly. But I want to think that I am the only one affected by my choices but it is just not true. Actions we do today effect many. 

I just recently read the story of the priest Eli in 1 Samuel. His actions or inaction effected many. Here is what God told Samuel about him: "The time has come for me to bring down on Eli’s family everything I warned him of, every last word of it. I’m letting him know that the time’s up. I’m bringing judgment on his family for good. He knew what was going on, that his sons were desecrating God’s name and God’s place, and he did nothing to stop them. This is my sentence on the family of Eli: The evil of Eli’s family can never be wiped out by sacrifice or offering.” In the chapter before a prophet told him:  “Be well warned: It won’t be long before I wipe out both your family and your future family. No one in your family will make it to old age! You’ll see good things that I’m doing in Israel, but you’ll see it and weep, for no one in your family will live to enjoy it. I will leave one person to serve at my Altar, but it will be a hard life, with many tears. Everyone else in your family will die before their time. What happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be the proof: Both will die the same day. Then I’ll establish for myself a true priest. He’ll do what I want him to do, be what I want him to be. I’ll make his position secure and he’ll do his work freely in the service of my anointed one. Survivors from your family will come to him begging for handouts, saying, ‘Please, give me some priest work, just enough to put some food on the table." So, how can we say our actions have no effect on anyone else.

When I do anything good or bad it will effect someone. My actions and words can hurt or build up. (Eph. 4:29) Thank God that because of Jesus we do not suffer the same way as Eli's family did but we still have consequences for our actions and those things usually effect the ones  that are closest to us. Go out and get drunk, drive and have an accident. Who does that effect? Our family because they have to pay for the damages whatever they are, the family that you hit suffers physically, emotionally and more. Use words like stupid, dummy, ugly, when you speak with family and friends and it will destroy their self worth and it may, because of their low self worth, cause them to do things in their life to others. It is like someone said throw a rock in the water no matter how big it has ripples. Those ripples do not stop without help.

Jesus is our help to break the cycle to dissipate the ripples, if you please. He can help us stop the affect the past had on us. Celebrate Recovery is just a means to find Jesus and the way to stop the effect we have on others. What hurt do you have in your life? What habit do you want to get rid of? What are you so hung up about that you cannot be a part of something good? Well, that is what Celebrate Recovery is all about. Taking care of the past hurt by offering forgiveness even when it seems you cannot. Breaking the habit with the help of God and an accountability team (we do not do anything without help). Getting past a hang up by seeing it with the eyes of Jesus. It is amazing what happens when you turn things over to Jesus. I would know because he has taken my hurts, my habits and my hang ups and helped me to defeat them. Am I perfect? NO but I am always moving toward Him and the closer I get the better it gets. Some day I will see Him and all will be made perfect. For now why not come to Celebrate Recovery and get all the help you can to not affect anyone else with your hurt, habit or hang up. I hope to see you soon.

David

“Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”