Over and Over and Over and Over and Over...

The implication of inconsistency is intangible to insanity. I sound pretty smart but not really. I thought it would be fun to say that. I think what I just said was, “The suggestion of unpredictability is vague to madness.” Which to me sounds like a college professor quote? Actually I like the discussion of insanity. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again and expecting different results each time. How many have I thought that I could control the situation by yelling, screaming, getting angry and getting my point across and being sarcastic and rude and still couldn’t control the situation. I many times have I been quiet about my spouse’s addiction, protected them by doing for them what they can do for themselves and thinking they would change with my help and lo and behold they were still addicts. How many times have I tried to forget my pain by drinking and drugging and the pain was still there. How many times did I think my problems would just go away and they didn’t? Well if insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again and expecting different results each time…then what is the definition of sanity? How about… “wholeness of mind; making decisions based on the truth.” There is only one truth that I know…that’s God’s word, Jesus. Read this acrostic from celebrate recovery about SANITY:

Strength
Acceptance
New Life
Integrity
Trust
Your Higher Power

Strength - With Jesus as my only source of life, He gives me the strength to face my fears of my past hurts, hang-ups, or habits that normally would fight, flee, or freeze. Psalm 46:1 tells me that, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear” Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” I basically cut myself from the power source and try to work on my own. A lamp can’t work if isn’t plugged in; like wise I go nuts trying to figure it all at on my own, relying my own strength and understating to live and I burn out because I’m not plugged in to the source…God. Choosing to allow my life to finally run on God’s power—not my own limited power, weakness, helplessness, or sense of inferiority—has turned out to be my greatest strength. Where I am weak, He is strong.

Acceptance – Romans 15:7 says,” Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” I need learn and understand to have REAL expectations of myself and others. God sees through my mess, pain, sin, guilt and saw that I was worthy saving. I need to have these same eyes for myself and others. The Serenity pray specifically asks God, “to give us the courage to change the things we can and to accept the things we cannot change and the wisdom to know the difference...” As you or I rely more Jesus everyday and moment by moment…we start to accept others as they really are, not as we would have them be! We accept our own responsibilities and stop putting blame on others.

New Life – the truth is, when you’re at the bottom, there’s no place but up. 2 Corinthians tells us, “…We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” The penalty for our sins was paid in full by Jesus on the cross. The hope of a new life is freedom from our bondage! 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! It’s awesome to know that Jesus came to give you a new life, you don’t have to hold on to your sins, pain, guilt, shame…He took them from you.

Integrity - We gain integrity as we begin to follow through on our promises. Others start trusting what we say. The apostle John placed great value on integrity: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” Remember, a half-truth is a whole lie, and a lie is the result of weakness, shame, and fear. Truth fears nothing—nothing but a cover up! The truth often hurts. But it’s the lie that leaves the scars. A man or woman of integrity and courage is not afraid to tell the truth. Jesus says that truth will set us free and He gives us what we need to be truthful and live in integrity.

Trust – Proverbs 29:25 says, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.” As we “let go and let God” and admit that our lives are unmanageable and we are powerless do anything about it, we learn to trust ourselves and others. We begin to make real friendships that last…the more that I became brutally honest with myself, the better the relationships I have made because I no longer hide and those that I am close with are the same…there is no judging or beat down…pure accountability and companionship - friends whom you can trust, with whom you can share, with whom you can grow in Christ.

Your Higher Power - Jesus Christ, loves you! “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” Romans 5:8. No matter what comes your way, together you and God can handle it! “And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out” (1 Corinthians 10:13). “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens” (Psalm 68:19). If Jesus is your Lord and Savior, He will help you in your time of trails.

Well that’s enough from me for now. Ask yourself…What I am doing over and over again and expecting different results and it’s just not working? There is hope! Blogacthalater.

-gravyjmm