Lesson 20 Principle & Step:
Principle 7: Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will.
Step 10: We continue to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:12
As we’ve worked through the last six principles and nine steps we’ve learned how to live in reality not denial, we’ve done our best to make amends for our past and we have a sincere desire to live out God’s will for our lives all the while deepening our personal relationship with Him.
God provides very simple instructions on how we should live out His will in Matthew 22:37-39. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
We are told not to just read or listen to these words. These words are a call to action, our actions. By living out Matthew 22:37-39 we become doers of the word, not mere readers of the word.
Lesson 20 – Highlights:
There are three actions in Step 10:
- Ongoing – When is the best time to admit we were wrong? The exact time we became aware of it.
- Daily – How often do we make amends? Daily to prevent ourselves from getting off track.
- Periodic – When do we to take time to be alone with God? Take a few hours, a day or weekend once a quarter to pray, be still and hear what God want to tell you. In this time celebrate your growth and be open to what still needs improvement.
Here are five ways we can amend proof our lives:
- Think before we speak – “Intelligent people think before they speak, what they say is more ” Proverbs 16:23
- Contribute to others spiritual growth – “Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk (ever) come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others.” Ephesians 4:29
- Exercise wisdom – “A wise, mature person is known for his understanding. The more pleasant his words, the more persuasive he is.” Proverbs 16:21
- Be uplifting – “A word of encouragement does wonders!” Proverbs 12:25
- Speak in love – “If I had a gift of being able to speak in other languages without learning them, and could speak in every language there is in all of heaven and earth, but didn’t love others, I would only be making noise.” 1 Corinthians 13:1
Turning our words into action at first can seem hard but over time it becomes who we are. A new and improved you. Join me with Episode 20 below and let’s dig into some questions that will help you with your daily inventory.