More Help with Step 6

Step 6

"Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character."

"In step six we learned more about the necessity of willingness as we became entirely ready to let go of our shortcomings. We apply this principle in many ways now, learning through each day's experience the difference between self-will and a simple willingness to cooperate with the guidance of our Higher Power.Our Higher Power- which is God. And through the Holy Spirit He guides us and directs us to reflect the character of God. Only through His strength and power are we able to do so. We have to be willing and we have to surrender our wills.

Working Towards a More Manageable Life....step 6

Step  6

"Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character."

 



 

"Likewise reckon you also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts."

Romans 6:11,12

 

vs. 12 " Its lust ~ The bodily desires. We experience Adam's sin through the impure desires that arise in us."

 

17This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as other Gentiles walk,

in the vanity of their mind, 18Having the understanding darkened,

 being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them,

because of the blindness of their heart: 19Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto licentiousness,  to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20But you have not so learned Christ;

21 If so be that you have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22That you put off concerning the former way of life the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Ephesians 4:17-23

 

vs. 23-24 put off...put on~ Using the imagery of a change of clothing, Paul exhorts believers to put off (vs.22) the old pattern of life and put on (v. 24) the new, Christ-inspired one."

(If you would like to study more into this concept check out these verses: Romans 6:1-14; 13:12; Col. 3:9-14)

 

13Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15But as he who has called you is holy, so be holy in all manner of conduct; 16Because it is written, You will be holy;

 for I am holy.

1 Peter 1:13-16

 

18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has to do with punishment.  He that fears is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:18

 

19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will eat with him, and he with me.

Revelation 3:19-20

 

28My soul melts for heaviness: strengthen me according unto your word.

29Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me your law graciously.

30I have chosen the way of truth: your judgments have I laid before me.

31I have clung unto your testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.

32I will run the way of your commandments, when you shall enlarge my heart.

33Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.

34Give me understanding, and I shall keep your law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

35Make me to go in the path of your commandments; for therein do I delight.

36Incline my heart unto your testimonies, and not to covetousness.

37Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity; and revive me in your way.

38Establish your word unto your servant, who is devoted to your fear.

39Turn away my reproach which I fear: for your judgments are good.

40Behold, I have longed after your precepts: revive me in your righteousness.

Psalm 119:28-40

 

Actually all of Psalm 119 is great. Click HERE to check it all out!

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Help with Step 5

Step 5

 

"Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs."

"What are some of the principles inherent in each step that we are encouraged to practice in all our affairs?"

"In steps four and five we learned courage and integrity as we faced the truth about our defects of character. Applying these principles in all our affairs means that we are no longer ruled by a fear of admitting our mistakes. We have the integrity to show the world our true selves. No longer needing to appear to the world as perfect people, we can live more fully, having the courage to face up to our mistakes and test our strength in the challenges of life."

More Help With Step 4

Step 4

"Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves."

 

"What are some of the principles inherent in each step that we are encouraged to practice in all our affairs?"

"In steps four and five we learned courage and integrity as we faced the truth about our defects of character. Applying these principles in all our affairs means that we are no longer ruled by a fear of admitting our mistakes. We have the integrity to show the world our true selves. No longer needing to appear to the world as perfect people, we can live more fully, having the courage to face up to our mistakes and test our strength in the challenges of life."

Working Towards a More Manageable Life...Step 4

Step 4

"Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves."

      23“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

      25“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. 26“You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

      27“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28“So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Matthew 23:23-28

      1Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2“But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. 3“Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops.

      4“I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. 5“But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! 6“Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.

Luke 12:1-6

 Just a little note about verse 5~
"Fear Him: Reverent fear of God liberates from all other fears (vs. 7)."
Note from my Andews Study Bible

    11Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. 12The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.

Romans 13:11-13

 Another note I found that I thought worthy to be shared~
"Armor of light~
As light dissipates darkness and armor protects against assaults, Christian conduct born of compassion and pure conscience has power to dispel and reverse the moral decay of the world."

19But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power. 20For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.

1 Corinthians 4:19-20
"Power~ to effect change"

3For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. 5For each one will bear his own load.

Galatians 6:3-5

"Examine- before God.
Work~ deeds.
 "And not in regard to another~  not in competition or comparison with another person."

3For the lips of an adulteress drip honey
         And smoother than oil is her speech;

4But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
         Sharp as a two-edged sword.

5Her feet go down to death,
         Her steps take hold of Sheol.

6She does not ponder the path of life;
         Her ways are unstable, she does not know it.

Proverbs 5:3-6

2All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,
         But the LORD weighs the motives.

3Commit your works to the LORD
         And your plans will be established.

Proverbs 16:2-3



More Help with Step 3

Step 3

"What are some of the principles inherent in each step that we are encouraged to practice in all our affairs?"

"In step three we learned faith as we made the most important decision we had ever made, the decision to trust God- as we understood God- with our will and our lives. Practicing the principles of faith today means that we will no longer go through life acting however we feel like acting at any given moment. Instead we will look to our Higher Power(God) for guidance and strength as we face each decision."

Working Towards a More Manageable Life...Step 3

Step 3

 

"Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him."

 

I am so glad that we have the love letter from God - the Bible- that we are able to read so that we are able to know Him better and better as we study His Word.

 

 

28But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him a hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me what you owe.

29And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.

30And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

Matthew 18:28-30

 

 

  21From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. 22Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” 23But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

      24Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul

Matthew 16:21-26

 

8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

 

 

1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not lack.

2He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters.

3He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 23

 

1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
         Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

2I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,
         My God, in whom I trust!”

3For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
         And from the deadly pestilence.

4He will cover you with His pinions,
         And under His wings you may seek refuge;
         His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

Psalm 91:1-4

 

5Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.

6In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

 

 

*Please remember that these lists verses is not a totally complete list - it is just a list of some basic verses that go with each step. There are many more gems in the Bible. If you have a reference Bible - you could look up these verses and then see what verses that the references refer you to - to do an even more in depth study. May God bless you as you study the Bible. :O)



More Help With Steps One and Two

 

 

So I am going to be sharing a little helpful information that will go nicely along with the Managing Your Life posts. This week we will do steps one and two to catch up.

Step One 

"What are some of the principles inherent in each step that we are encouraged to practice in all our affairs?"

"In step one we learned the principle of honesty as we admitted our personal powerlessness over food(or what ever) and the fact that without help we could not successfully manage our own lives. Now we want to continue being honest with ourselves in all our affairs. One way in which we practice honesty today is by admitting that we are still compulsive overeaters,(or what ever defect of character or addition that we are dealing with), that we still need daily help."

Step 2

"Step 2 we learned hope as we came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. This same hope will now need to underlie all our actions. Even in our loneliest hours, we can remind ourselves of the great truth that we are not alone; even in our weakest moments we will find the strength we need if we believe it is available to us and ask for it."

Working Towards a More Manageable Life....Step 2

Step 2

 

"Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity."

 

Or how I like to say it:

 

Came to believe that God could restore us to sanity.

 



 

18“BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN;
         MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED;
         I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM,
         AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.

19“HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT;
         NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS.

20“A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF,
         AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT,
         UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY.

21“AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.”

Matthew 12:18-21

 

 

23And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” 24Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”

Mark 9:23-24

 

10And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

11And, behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no way lift herself up.

12And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.

13And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

Luke 13:10-13

 

 

Just wanted to share a small little note about the word "loosed" from verse 12- "That is, "set free" in the sense of being freed to remain free." Isn't that a beautiful promise!?

 

When God lays His hands on you - you are healed- you are set free!

 

"It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."

John 6:63

 

"Jesus' concerns are clearly about spiritual things. Success in this world is relatively unimportant in contrast to eternity.

"The words...life~ Jesus' word is what really matters, not miracles."

 

I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believes on me should not abide in darkness.

John 12:46

"Light~ a metaphor for revelation"

 

I love You, O LORD, my strength.”

2The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
         My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
         My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
         And I am saved from my enemies.

Psalm 18:1-3

 

 

1I cry aloud to the Lord;

I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.

2I pour out before him my complaint;

before him I tell my trouble.

3When my spirit grows faint within me,

it is you who watch over my way.

In the path where I walk

people have hidden a snare for me.

4Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;

no one is concerned for me.

I have no refuge;

no one cares for my life.

5I cry to you, Lord;

I say, “You are my refuge,

my portion in the land of the living.”

6Listen to my cry,

for I am in desperate need;

rescue me from those who pursue me,

for they are too strong for me.

7Set me free from my prison,

that I may praise your name.

Then the righteous will gather about me

because of your goodness to me.

Psalm 142

 

"verse three~ Even in the situation of despair and depression David knows that he is in God's hands. This consciousness gave him new courage to trust in the LORD, the only refuge in his life."

 

*Italic information is either from my Andrew Study Bible notes or SDA Commentary.

 

 

 

 

Working Towards a More Manageable Life ....Step One

So I decided that I wanted to do a series of the Bible verses that go along with the 12 steps.

Now some of you may be thinking - that is just for alcoholics- but the truth is these steps are very helpful to anyone on planet earth. Where sin is, there is a multitude of issues that people deal with on a day to day basis and these steps help us better deal with life. So I hope that you will be blessed by this. :O)

 

Step 1

 

We admitted we were powerless and that our lives had become unmanageable.

 

 

                       "But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd."

Matthew 9:36

 

"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me."         

Romans 7:18-20

                                       

 

"Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak;
O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubles.

3. My soul also is greatly troubles; But You, O LORD

How Long? 4. Return, O LORD, deliver me! Oh, save me for your mercies sake!

Psalm 6:2-4

 

"Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble; My eye wastes away with grief, Yes, my soul and my body! 10. For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing; My strength fails because of my iniquity, And my bones waste away.

Psalm 31:9-10

 

O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!

2. For Your arrows pierce me deeply, and Your hand presses me down.

3. There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones because of my sins.

4. For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

5. My wounds are found and festering because of my foolishness.

6. I am troubles, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.

7. For my loins are full of inflammation, And there is no soundness in my flesh.

8. I am feeble and severely broken.; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.

9. Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You.

Psalm 38:1-9

 

My dishonor is continually before me,

And the shame of my face has covered me.

2. Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles.

Because of the enemy and the avenger.

Psalm 44:15,16

 

For He will deliver the needy when he cries, The poor also, and him who has no healer. He will spare the poor and needy, and will save the souls of the needy.
Psalm 72: 12,13