Life is about recovery

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“The old law about an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind.�
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.� 2 TIMOTHY 4:7-9 NASB

These are some of the last written words of the apostle Paul before he was executed. He knew that he had made it all the way to the finish line. Paul did not get off to a good start in life. Oh he had education and probably came from a well-to-do family. He probably also got off to a great start in his religious life, but when Jesus came on the scene as promised by the many prophets, Paul followed the traditions instead of the Truth. Paul did manage to get turned around and as a result led many to the Lord and the Truth, as he got back on course and finished the race. Many times in life I never made it to the finish line. I have quit before the end of the course. I recall in high school deciding to run track and be on the track team. After a few days of agony and sweat, I decided that I would do something else. I recall when I first graduated from high school that I was going to take some night college night classes. After a month and falling behind some, I quit. It was four years later before I went back to college, and then only after a trip to South Vietnam. About 14 years ago I set out to build a small log cabin. After 6 years, many drunks, and much wasted money and time, I found myself only half finished and what was built was rotting. I had to tear it all down. I did finish that race (cabin), only after I started a program of recovery. Today I realized that it is not so much of an importance as to how we start something, but what is important is how we finish something. Good starts are nice and well, but the truth is that some of us don’t get off to good starts. The Bible teaches me that life is about recovery, whether it be recovery from physical illness, alcohol and drugs, divorce, loneliness, bankruptcy, depression, mental illness, selfishness, or any kind of sin that creeps it way into our lives. Life is about recovery and all people that I have met, are recovering from something. I have yet to meet someone who is and was created perfect, except my Savior. Today I have hope, the Bible gives me many examples of those who have recovered, and I am not alone in this life of recovery. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself……………….JRE

“Without hope we are miserable; hope is the driving force behind all recovery. If we had no hope, there would be no possibility of recovery. Understanding who Jesus is gives each of us a hope that can transcend even our deepest despair.�
The Life Recovery Bible, page 1114

“The family tree of Jesus, the sinless God-man, was far from perfect. Judah fathered Prez with his daughter-in-law Tamar, thinking she was a prostitute; Salmon married Rahab, a former prostitute in Jericho; and David had an adulterous affair with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba. Throughout history God as used imperfect people to work his will. He was more concerned about the attitude of their heart than about the mistakes they made. God is never fooled or discouraged by people’s past mistakes. This should give us hope that God can give us a productive future no matter how destructive our past has been. For a new start, we must admit our sins and commit our life to God.�
The Life Recovery Bible, page 1114