Day 6 - Disciples For Sure


Scripture focus:
Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. "If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you." John 8:32 The Message

Two days ago Dr. Jampolsky described what he calls the “addictive personality.” Not everyone subscribes to the fact that the concept of the “addictive personality” even exists. However, a lot of my friends and I can relate to his description of some common false beliefs and thoughts that plague all sorts of people, some of whom have also experienced the heartache of addiction.


Again, here’s his list:
  • One who looks outside of self for happiness, expecting it to bring us what we want and need but finds conflict and suffering.
  • One who believes they are terminally unique with an unquenchable hunger and thirst.
  • One who feels chronically empty and alone in a cruel, punishing world.
  • One who searches insatiably for achievement, acquisition, approval and accomplishment.
  • One who tends to latch on to “solutions” – becoming rigid, self-righteous, intolerant toward other viewpoints, adopting an overly simplistic attitude to problem solving.
  • One who is overwhelmed and driven by inner feelings of shame and guilt which unconsciously drive outward behavior.
  • Fear fuels the addictive personality.
In the gospel of John, Jesus doesn’t say to those who claimed to believe him, “Hey, your biology and genealogy is your destiny.” Instead, he said, “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.” At the end of the day, when we stop looking to understand the “whys” of who we are, isn’t our heart’s greatest desire to be free? Jesus tells us how. So, let’s return to the list and think about what we might need to change in order to live life God’s way. Tomorrow we’ll begin to take each description and trash talk it with the word of God.

Recommended reading: Genesis 20-23

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