Finding What We Have Lost, Or Maybe Never Had

At different stages of our lives we would probably answer this question in different ways, but I think that for me, overall, the answer is peace. I knew that something was wrong with me a long time ago. I thought that I was a good person, kind and generous, and I wanted to do good, but for some reason I kept doing things that made my life more unmanageable. I found myself eventually in a very dark spot and God reached down and pulled me out. I read something that I have shared before that sums up my problem, that another guy wrote about 1875 years ago or so: “So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. Oh, what a wretched creature am I! Who will rescue me from this? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:14-25)

I think that many of us, if not most of us, know that something is wrong when we are not at peace. Thankfully, we have been given instructions on how to quiet our turmoil: “A wise king winnows out the wicked (behaviors): he drives a threshing wheel over them (to separate the wheat from the chaff).” (Proverbs 20:26) If we are able to separate out our problems, we have a chance to get better, by accepting a new way of life from “The Prince of Peace”, who tells us: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

I have shared a few times that I learned in recovery that our minds are like a great magnifying lens – whatever I focus on tends to grow and become larger and may tend to overwhelm me, for good or for bad. Paul even talks about this: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:6-9)

So, if we know what we are searching for and we know how to get it, then we ask ourselves the first two questions. What breathes life into you and what draws life from you? With the answers to these questions, we can begin to adjust our lives to achieve our ultimate goal – HOW SIMPLE!

We are J-Bar.