May 11

Step 5: We admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

May 11

Recommended Reading Psalm 28 and 1 Peter 5

Is it wrong to yell at your kids and call them stupid?
Is it wrong to belittle your spouse in public – if you make it sound funny?
Is it wrong to take a wallet that you find on the street and consider this your lucky day?
Is it wrong to take supplies from your office and use them personally – especially if you’re under-paid and appreciated?
Is it wrong to have sex if you’re not married?
Is it wrong to look at porn on-line?
Is it wrong over-eat and under-exercise? (Or under-eat and over-exercise?)
Is it wrong to drink alcohol?
Is it wrong to life from paycheck to paycheck?
Is it wrong to help with your children’s homework? Is it wrong to expect your children to manage their own schoolwork without any input from you?

The answers to these kinds of questions will no doubt vary for many of us. If you grew up in a family where someone regularly smacked you around, maybe a little yelling and name calling sounds like no big deal to you. Perhaps living from paycheck to paycheck is a giant step up from the welfare existence you were accustomed to last year. Some people can drink alcohol and it’s a fine choice – for others is a slow form of suicide.

I’m not saying that all our dilemmas about right and wrong are all relative. Some are just plain right; others clearly wrong. But there are some issues that are fuzzy that reasonable people can disagree on without either one needing a bad guy label. How we answer these questions will determine what we define as wrong doing – and that’s an important issue when it comes to doing a fifth step.

Thought for today: 1 Peter is one of those books that helps me answer some of my pressing questions about right and wrong. Lots of other places in scripture do the same thing. I’m glad God saw fit in His infinite wisdom to provide this resource for us.

Thought for tomorrow: All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT If you’re having trouble making a list of “wrongs” – take some time each day to peer intently into the scriptures and see what looks back.

May 11
Teresa McBean