A codependency group has met in our home every other Wednesday for a couple of years now. We had taken a couple of months off until the winter and its very wintry weather passed. This evening was our first time back together again.
The first year found us working our way through a workbook entitled, "Conquering Codependency" by Pat Springle. Since its completion we use a topical approach and often refer back to the guide, as there is always more to gain from it.
In preparing for this evening's discussion Papa used a book that I am currently reading to give me the topic. The book is Beth Moore's, "Get Out of that Pit." She speaks of the different kinds of pits that we can find ourselves in, pits that we willingly step into, ones where we were pushed and those where we slip accidently. All of them are results of choices we have made to one degree or another. The bottom line is all about what we want.
As I read, it was clear to me that the question we were to address this evening was "What do we want?" You see what we truly want motivates us to either end up in a pit or find higher ground.
We need to look below the surface of our answer to that question. We might at first answer that we want acceptance, a sense of belonging, love, peace, success, happiness or any number of things, but we need to go deeper. What do we really want?
In our heart of hearts we want God. We want that connection with Him that comes through relationship with Him.
Some will scoff at that and deny that to be true, but they are wrong. Way down deep they know it is true.
Whatever we think we want; whatever we long for can only be found in the Living God. Everything else is a counterfeit. If we settle for anything less we are cheating ourselves.
Desire peace? Jesus said He would give us peace and leave it with us. Where else can we find peace that lasts?
The Bible study group that I am part of studied "The LORD is Peace" this week. This peace is shalom which means so much more than we can imagine. The original Hebrew and Greek tell us it means being well in every sense of the word; to be complete.
That is our God and that is what He offers us!
Want love? God is love.
Want acceptance and a sense of belonging? He tells us that when we are His we are "accepted in the beloved."
I could go on, but encourage you to do this for yourself!
Our group talked about the wrong messages that we have received and believed and how they become our motivation for getting what we want, when we don't look beyond those surface desires. Guaranteed to end in a pit!
As I read the fourteenth chapter of John this morning the thought came that His Word is revealed to each and every one who will receive it. That is were we will find truth. We have to go below the surface of things to recognize our true need; then we will be receptive to all He has to show us.
We ended our time together by encouraging one another to pursue our God; to admit our longing for more of Him. The more we get to know Him, the more satisfied we will become. When we find satisfaction in Him then we are ready to embrace those around us in healthy ways.
Codependency is looking to others to satisfy our wants that only God truly can. Without Him we will find ourselves empty; with Him we will be full to overflowing!
Isn't it interesting? To go higher we have to dig deeper!
No comments:
Post a Comment