Step/Week 11, Day 6 – Relapse and Gratitude: Being Part of and Grateful for the Church
May 6, 2020 844
“Go through His open gates with great thanksgiving; enter His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and bless His name” (Ps. 100:4, TLB).
As I mentioned yesterday, you can’t go through recovery alone. You need to be connected to God (most important) and to other people you trust to accompany you on your journey towards recovery. Becoming part of and a member of your local church is one way to have consistent fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Church is the place you gather to worship and praise God, to hear His Word, to pray, to have fellowship with others. Do you realise what a wonderful thing it is to be part of the universal Church? The Church is Jesus’ Body here on earth; you are part of that “Body”, and He has a plan for you to fulfill as a member of your local church.
Are there some days that you just don’t feel like going to church? We all get them, but it’s good to push through those feelings and go anyway, When I’ve done just that, God has met me in such a powerful way, that if I didn’t go to church on that day, I would have missed a real blessing that He had in store for me, and that makes me very thankful.
Today’s verse talks about the attitude you should have when entering a church: one of “great thanksgiving” and “praise”. Like in yesterday’s devotional, you can be grateful for those around you, just like you can give a special place of thanksgiving and gratitude to your brothers and sisters in Christ, who you gather with on a regular basis. Being connected and grateful will help you avert the possibility of having a relapse. Be consistent in your church going (more about that in next week’s devotionals, too).
– Graham Hood
Personal Reflection: Do you look forward to your time spent in church? Are you passionate about worshipping God and hearing and being taught through His Word? Thank God for your brothers and sisters in Christ who you have fellowship with and who are a blessing to your recovery from addictions.
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