A Band of “Celebrate Recovery” Brothers

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17

I am here as an eyewitness to what can only be described as the Holy Spirit working in the lives of 10 amazing men, plus myself – a group that has truly become, to me, a “Band of Brothers.” For the last seven months, I have been blessed to walk alongside these fellow believers in Jesus Christ; all have admitted that their lives have become unmanageable and that their compulsive behaviors have hindered their relationship with Christ.

Nine months ago, we began our journey through CR’s 12 steps at First Baptist Dallas, and slowly started sharing our pains and struggles. Not an easy thing for men to do. I say this from my own experience, having gone through a step study before. Most men never share their personal struggles with sin, even though we all struggle with it. Our hurts, habits and hang-ups prevent us from experiencing a closer walk with God.

As the men in our group processed each step, we dove deeper into our past wounds. Like peeling back an onion, we were laid open and found that we were not alone in our pain. In addition to the sin we all shared, we found we had many things in common, and slowly felt safe enough to come out of our denial and isolation and lean on each other for support.

I have never experienced such a bonding among men before, and can only count it as an act of the Holy Spirit to see our hearts transformed. I can attest that, to a man, our group has grown deeper in love with God, as we have also grown to love each other and, even more, the people who matter in our lives. I know we serve a God of miracles, and see in the heart of every man a fire being ignited in a dark world.

As our step study progressed, we continued to hold each other accountable and care for each other and love one another. Seeing this stirred up joy in my heart. We shared each other’s achievements and victories; we wept when another was hurting; we picked each other up when we stumbled. Our commitment to pray for each other and remain in God’s word daily fused us as a unit. These men have come to my door to pray with me when I was feeling lonely, to guard me from isolation. They have proven time and again that I am not on this journey alone.

For example, one night, one of the men called to ask me how he could pray for me. Humbled, I shared with him that I had been suffering from serious back pain because I was sleeping on a 10-year-old mattress and did not have the finances to buy a new bed. I asked for prayer and provision to buy a new bed. He stated that he knew someone who could get me a good deal on a bed and would check into it for me. This man, then, not only prayed for me, he sought prayer from the other men in our group, and a week later, three of them approached me to announce that they had pitched in and purchased a new bed for me. Two of them delivered it and set it up in my apartment. I thanked them, and they suggested I pay the blessing forward. Through their example I learned what God wants of me as a man. He wants me to pay my blessings forward and never block His intended blessings for others!

If you are feeling alone in your hurts, habits and hang ups, or wondering if you will ever have the strength to overcome the sin in your life, remember, you cannot do this alone. God will give you the strength and courage to find a Celebrate Recovery near you, and He will provide you with a “Band of Brothers” to see you through.

As we approach the end of our step study, my heart is saddened that I won’t see these men as often, but I have no doubt that the bond we formed will last a lifetime.

Allow the Holy Spirit to stir your heart, and get the help that you need. My prayer for you is that you will receive His blessing, and become an eyewitness to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life and lives of others.

– Phillip

 

Radical Gratitude: A Key to Recovery

This is the time of year when we focus on being thankful for all the blessings in our lives. And, there are many benefits to focusing on and expressing our gratitude: physical benefits, such as stronger immune systems and lower blood pressure; psychological benefits, such as being more alert and optimistic; and social benefits, such as feeling less lonely and isolated.

But, one of the most significant benefits of being grateful is that it can help develop our faith, especially when we are struggling. When things don’t make sense, when our prayers seem to go unanswered, when everything is going the way we don’t want it to go, we can say, “God, I know you are in control. I know you love me, and I know you can bring good out of this. I am thankful that you are bigger than my problem.”

Anyone can thank God for good things, but when we can thank God even when things are bad, our faith grows stronger as our roots go deeper. Rick Warren, one of the founders of Celebrate Recovery, calls this “radical gratitude.”

Habakkuk went through tough times (Habakkuk 3:17-18). But in the midst of everything, Habakkuk rejoiced: “I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

No matter what, we can be grateful because the Lord is our Savior. We are never alone. He will never abandon us. He is always faithful.

Maybe you are struggling today as this holiday time approaches…struggling to be grateful. When you are going through tough times, don’t look at what’s lost. Look at what’s left, and be grateful for that. Be thankful to God for just being God. He promises to see you though and, in the process, your faith will grow stronger because of it.

I know in my own experience, when life becomes difficult, I tend to take my focus off God, focus all my attention on my circumstances and lose perspective. The struggles and pain become overwhelming, and hopelessness starts to creep in. That is the time I need to reach out to my accountability partners, to help me turn my eyes back on Jesus, focus on what I have (not what I don’t have), and gain His perspective on my circumstances.

Colossians 2:7 says, “Sink your roots in him and build on him. Be strengthened by the faith that you were taught, and overflow with thanksgiving.”

God’s will for us is “radical gratitude” – in ALL things give thanks. Gratitude honors God, creates fellowship with Him, and develops our faith.

Join us at First Baptist Church in downtown Dallas for Celebrate Recovery next Wednesday night at 6:15 p.m. for our special Gratitude Service. You will be blessed!

– Chris