Before we dive right in, I’d like to talk about a Christ-centered program that is very near and dear to my heart. That program is Celebrate Recovery. It is a 12-step Christ centered program that deals with all of life’s hurts habits and hang ups.
This program is available in over 29,000 churches worldwide. Perspective For Today embraces the celebrate recovery program.
I must tell you up front that the first time I became aware of Celebrate Recovery was during my time in prison. When you are at your lowest, the only way to look is up. Celebrate Recovery was the tool that God used to draw me near to Him. I can truly say that my time in prison has molded me into someone God can use for his glory.
To some degree we are all prisoners. Whether that bondage is physical, emotional, Spiritual or psychological.As with any 12-step program the first step we have to take is to deal with our denial . Until we admit we have a problem we can’t really begin moving forward.
Once we’re able to take off our mask and just let others see us as we really are. Then we can honestly come to grips with our character defects.
It took me some time before I was able to start dealing with my character defects that had me living a life that was empty and unfulfilling. Issues like anger, alcohol, drugs, pride, and sexual addiction.
So today I’d like to talk about our character defects and how the fruit of the Spirit plays an important role in our spiritual growth. Being aware of our character defects is good, but we need to be aware of what we want to replace those defects with. There is a saying that space abhors a vacuum.
As we work on our defects or shortcomings we need to be ready to fill that void or emptiness in our lives with something more positive. If we don’t fill that void Satan will fill it for us.
Matthew 12:43-45 says, “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.
Serving others, church, Bible studies, and Celebrate Recovery are good things to make us feel better about ourselves, but we need to do those things in the proper spirit, or fullness of heart. Not only doing them for our recovery and spiritual growth but doing them to bring glory to God.
Our sinful nature would have us be self-serving and self-fulfilling which in turn feeds the character defects we are striving to remove. In other words, when we pound our chest and say look at me and what I’ve accomplished, we’ve become prideful in our hearts.
In order to serve God in the proper spirit, we need to commit ourselves to reach for the fruit of the spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 says the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
We not only need to commit this scripture to memory we need to commit it to our heart and soul.
That fruit can only be part of us if we have a deeper closer relationship with our Lord and Savior. We can in no way have this fruit as a result of self-will.
Romans 7:18 says I know that nothing good lives in me that is in my sinful nature for I have the desire to do what is good but I cannot carry it out.
Once this fruit starts becoming a part of who we are we need to ripen that fruit and with that mature in our spiritual growth. in order to ripen that fruit we need to commit the time, perseverance and dedication needed by not relying on our will, but by God’s will. He and he alone is the nurturer of our spiritual garden
Romans 12:2 says, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
As we weed out the character defects of our spiritual gardens let us submit to God’s will for our lives, and bring all things to fruition.