Finding out what God has to say about our particular needs is what the TouchPoints series is all about. TouchPoints for Recovery puts God’s words of encouragement and affirmation at the fingertips of those recovering from loss or addiction. Each section starts with a question, which is answered through the Scriptures, and ends with a promise from God’s Word.

TouchPoints FOR RECOVERY

By Ronald A. Beers

TYNDALE HOUSE PUBLISHERS, INC.

Copyright © 2009 Ronald A. Beers
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4143-2023-6

Contents

Abuse..........................................3Addiction......................................13Burnout........................................16Damaged Relationships..........................20Depression/Sadness.............................26Discouragement.................................30Grief..........................................32Guilt..........................................33Past...........................................35Shame..........................................37Sickness/Damaged Health........................39Acceptance.....................................44Faults.........................................45Forgiveness....................................49Future.........................................50God's Love.....................................53Hope...........................................54Meaning........................................57Obedience......................................59Prayer.........................................61Presence of God................................62Strength.......................................65Trusting God...................................69Step 1.........................................71Step 2.........................................79Step 3.........................................86Step 4.........................................95Step 5.........................................100Step 6.........................................104Step 7.........................................108Step 8.........................................110Step 9.........................................114Step 10........................................122Step 11........................................126Step 12........................................137Another's Addiction............................138Forgiveness....................................140Health.........................................142Temptation.....................................143Memories.......................................144Christian Community............................146Goals..........................................147Work...........................................150Anger/Hatred...................................152Apathy.........................................153Assumptions....................................155Backsliding....................................156Bitterness.....................................158Boredom........................................160Comparisons....................................162Deception......................................163Desires........................................165Dishonesty.....................................168Disobedience...................................169Drinking.......................................170Evil...........................................175Fear...........................................177Guilt..........................................178Habits.........................................180Hiding Your Sins...............................182Hopelessness...................................185Laziness.......................................186Pretending.....................................188Procrastination................................189Quitting.......................................192Regrets........................................196Respect for Authority..........................197Sexual Sin.....................................200Sin............................................203Spiritual Dryness..............................205Temptation.....................................209Weaknesses/Vulnerabilities.....................213Humility.......................................214Attitude.......................................215Perspective....................................218Prayer.........................................221Motives........................................223Convictions....................................225Surrender......................................226Hope...........................................228Faith..........................................230Courage........................................232Vision.........................................233Motivation.....................................235Self-Control...................................238Confidence.....................................239Trust..........................................240Patience.......................................242Endurance......................................245Thankfulness...................................247Stability......................................249Responsibility.................................251Potential

Chapter One

Part One What We May Need to Recover From

ABUSE

How do I heal the wounds of abuse?

PROVERBS 24:29 | Don't say, "Now I can pay them back for what they've done to me! I'll get even with them!"

LAMENTATIONS 3:59 | You have seen the wrong they have done to me, Lord. Be my judge, and prove me right.

ROMANS 12:19 | Never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the Lord.

EPHESIANS 4:31 | Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words.

If you have been a victim of abuse, you know that the hurt is real and that there are scars, both physical and emotional. When justice doesn't happen as it should, when life doesn't seem fair, that's when bitterness can consume you. But bitterness and the desire for revenge poison your own soul. It's essential to recognize and deal with the bitterness before it overwhelms you; otherwise, you might not be able to find healing and recover. You can be sure that God will bring justice. Leave that to him so you can focus on healing.

MATTHEW 5:43-44 | [Jesus said,] "You have heard the law that says, 'Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!"

MATTHEW 6:14-15 | If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

LUKE 23:34 | Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing."

This may be the hardest act of the Christian life: forgiving those who have wronged you terribly without any expectation that they will change. Forgiveness is the only way to purge your soul of the toxins of bitterness and a vengeful spirit. When you forgive others, your heart is changed so you can move on. When you forgive, you are not saying that the hurt isn't real or that the event didn't matter or that you will put yourself in a position where you might be harmed again. Forgiving the abuser simply means that you refuse to let the abuser have any more control in your life. The person who hurt you doesn't even need to be told-the act of forgiveness occurs between you and God. Leave your hurt with God and allow his power to heal you from the inside so that you can recover.

PHILIPPIANS 4:8 | Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

As you fill your mind with good and pleasant thoughts of what your future can hold, you have less room and less time to dwell on the past. Focusing on the future will speed up your recovery time.

Part Two Questions for God

ACCEPTANCE

Am I really important to God?

GENESIS 1:26-27 | God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground." So God created human beings in his own image.

PSALM 8:3-6 | When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers ... what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority.

EPHESIANS 2:10 | We are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

God made you in his own image-you are his treasure and masterpiece! You are invaluable to him, which is why he sent his own Son to die for your sins so that you could live in heaven with him forever.

PSALM 139:13 | You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.

JEREMIAH 1:5 | I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.

God made you with great skill and crafted you with loving care. He showed how much value he places on you by the way he made you.

PSALM 139:17 | How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!

Almighty God thinks wonderful thoughts about you all the time. He looks inside you and sees your real value.

PSALM 139:1-3 | O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.

God values you so much that he watches over you no matter where you are or what you are doing. This tells you how special he thinks you are.

1 CORINTHIANS 6:19-20 | Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price.

God values you so much that he even allows your body to become the temple in which he lives. God does not need to live in you. He can live anywhere. But by choosing to live within you, he declares you his temple, his dwelling place. What a great value he places on you to do that!

GALATIANS 3:26 | You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

GALATIANS 4:7 | You are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

God values you so much that he thinks of you as his child.

MATTHEW 28:20 | [Jesus said,] "Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

God's Son promises to be with you always. Why would he want to be with you if he didn't value you?

How does God show he cares for me?

PSALM 121:8 | The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

PSALM 145:18-20 | The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them. The Lord protects all those who love him.

MATTHEW 6:30 | If God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

1 PETER 5:7 | Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

God is always close to you, ready to help in your time of need. His presence surrounds you, ready to protect you from Satan's attacks. God also sends blessings your way in a variety of forms: He sends opportunities your way, ready to make your life more full and satisfying. He promises that he is ready to take your worries and cares upon himself. And he offers you eternal life in heaven, away from all hurt, pain, and sin. He wants to do all these things for you-if you let him-because he cares about you.

Why does God show me mercy when my actions don't deserve it?

EXODUS 34:6 | The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, ... "The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness."

MICAH 7:18 | Where is another God like you, who pardons ... guilt ..., overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love.

EPHESIANS 2:4-5 | God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.

HEBREWS 4:16 | Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

God's grace-his mercy-is undeserved favor. God shows you mercy because he loves you. He always will, thus he will always want to help you. Mercy is compassion poured out on needy people. Even when you don't deserve mercy, he still extends it to you. Your sin and rebellion against God deserve his punishment, but instead he offers you forgiveness and eternal life. And just as God is merciful toward you in spite of your sin, you should be able to extend mercy toward those who have wronged you.

How does God show me mercy?

PSALM 86:15 | You, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.

God shows you mercy by being slow to get angry over your sins. He will show you unfailing love no matter what you have done against him.

How is God empathetic toward me?

ROMANS 8:34 | Who then will condemn us? No one-for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us.

PHILIPPIANS 2:6-8 | Though [Christ Jesus] was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross.

COLOSSIANS 2:9 | In Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.

HEBREWS 5:2, 8 | [Every high priest] is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses.... Even though Jesus was God's Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.

1 PETER 3:18 | Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.

God not only created the entire range of human emotions but experienced them himself when he sent his Son, Jesus, to earth as a human being in order to fully experience the human condition. You can't say that God doesn't understand and feel your hurt and pain, for Jesus suffered great hurt and pain. Thus, his heart breaks when your heart breaks. He understands your weaknesses, your fears, and your joys. Instead of condemnation, he gives mercy; instead of criticism, he offers comfort and encouragement.

But even beyond that, his empathy and love for you moved him to create a way for you to experience eternal joy, free from all pain and suff ering. However, he also gave you freedom of choice to accept his salvation because he understands that if he didn't give you that freedom, you would not be worshiping him of your own will.

FAULTS

With all my faults, how can God see me as blameless?

ROMANS 5:1 | Since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

Part Three The Twelve Steps to Recovery

STEP 1

"We admitted that we were powerless over our dependencies-that our lives had become unmanageable."

What is the significance of admitting that I cannot control my actions?

ROMANS 7:18 | I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can't.

ROMANS 7:21 | I have discovered this principle of life-that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.

2 CORINTHIANS 3:5 | It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.

Admitting that you are powerless over the things you struggle with can be a hard thing to do. However, insisting that you can control your addictions has put you where you are today, and your situation will only get worse if you don't do something-your dependencies will continue to control your life until everything you value is gone. The earlier you admit your problem-no matter how far along it has taken you-the better off you will be. Although there is no instant cure to your problem, admitting your powerlessness over it and God's ability to help is the first step toward your recovery.

What can I do when I feel helpless?

PSALM 30:10 | Hear me, LORD, and have mercy on me. Help me, O Lord.

PSALM 39:12 | Hear my prayer, O LORD! Listen to my cries for help! Don't ignore my tears.

Honestly tell God how you feel, and then don't be too proud to ask for his help. When you ask God for his help, you are acknowledging your need of him and of his ability to help you.

GENESIS 18:14 | Is anything too hard for the Lord?

2 CHRONICLES 14:11 | Asa cried out to the Lord his God, "O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless.... It is in your name that we have come."

PSALM 28:7 | The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

When you ask God for help and trust that he will help, you open the lifeline to the God who loves doing the impossible! If you focus on trying to get yourself out of trouble, you may never see what God can do.

PSALM 138:3 | As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength.

PHILIPPIANS 4:13 | I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

You need God's strength to do what you can't do on your own.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from TouchPoints FOR RECOVERYby Ronald A. Beers Copyright © 2009 by Ronald A. Beers. Excerpted by permission.
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