May 8

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

May 8

Recommended Reading Psalm 25 and 1 Peter 2

Today is a great day to NOT skip your recommended reading in the Psalms. It’s very step five-esque. Read away!

Thought for today: One parting thought: don’t forget why you’re doing this. Oh, sure, it has a lot to do with the benefits reaped (and hoped for by the psalmist) as one confesses – but here’s a big vision thought for you: your willingness to keep stepping through this process will determine the outcome for others too. In your community - wherever that is – others are in need of a person of integrity, wisdom, discernment, kindness, patience, and willingness to serve others. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re living in a world of hurt. This hurt is no respecter of socio-economic status, race, creed or any other measure we might employ to determine whether others are experiencing the good life. Our communities are in need of spiritual advocates who get what the good life really looks like AND who have the experience to point others in the right direction.

Thought for tomorrow: So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness. 1 Peter 2:1-3 NLT

God isn’t trying to get us to behave like nuns; He wants us to grow up into the kind of people in whom He can plant a grand epic adventure and watch it thrive. (Maybe God will call you to be a nun with a grand epic adventure and that’s cool, but my point is that God is not withholding the good life from us or asking us to live an austere life with no earthly pleasures.)

May 8
Teresa McBean