Thoughts about life....

I Read this today in Search for Serenity.  It is not meant to be in a biblical sense, but I see many times when men in recovery and those around them expect perfection and nothing less.  So I write it here thinking of how God loves us and is right there with us, no matter what, through out the journey...

• The man who lives to himself will eventually die by himself.  The one who reaches out in sharing with others, will not cease to be a growing part of us all when he dies.
• A sunset is only beautiful to those who take the trouble to really see it.  Appriciation of life is only possible to those whose emotional vision is unclouded by prreoccupation with the problems of self.
• To begin again does not mean a sudden return to all that is good.  Neither does it mean that a whole life is transformed overnight.  A man is not judged by whether or not he stumbles.  A man can only judge himself by the direction he travels.  To arrive is not important.  To travel in the right direction, making a little progress everyday, is the true test of life.  Man's search is never done.

I know, like many of you, the darkness you have seen and felt.  I know I must grow everyday.  Those who have lost their way in the darkness of inner fear have found that the alternative to growth is indescribable hell.  As hard as change is, avoiding a return to this abyss is reason enough for all of us to continue this effort.

Do not focus on the times you fail, focus on where you are going and the God who is there with you.  Bad news always attracts more attention than good news.  A forest fire is more sensational than a grove of tall trees growing beautifully together.

And this I know in my heart to be true....You are all Great men of God,

Steve G

Scott wrote on May 22nd 08 at 09:16AM

Thank you. I have been through a period of stumbling after much success and I really needed to hear these thoughts. It is so hard to remember that God wants you to keep pressing on in his direction no matter what and that he is not condemning you for failures. I think it is also a sign that I am still fighting this too much in my own strength when I focus on my failures more than I focus on God's continuing call to come to Him. Thank you brother.

Steve G wrote on May 23rd 08 at 08:45AM

@Scott, it is amazing how the world teaches us to focus on the failures of life. When we do it is easy for satan to speak in to our lives and for me it was so easy to hear those words of being worthless...

In that hell God, and a group of wonderful, godly men started speaking the truth in to my mind and in my life..."Steve your actions are not who you are. They are your past and they do not define you as a person and they do not define your future."

In the darkness I could still hear satan screaming these words were not true...but I began to believe and learn to listen to God's word. Over time I have learned to know the positive, true words when God speaks them to me...they are in my own voice and they say as I look in the mirror..."One day at a time, I am a precious child of God".

I must leave behind my failures and focus on this incredible gift of "Today" which God has given me.

“This one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind I press forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13).

Don't beat yourself up brother. Know that you are a Great man of God and He has great plans for you.

"

Austin wrote on May 23rd 08 at 10:59AM

Thanks for that post! I have been recovery from a year long struggle with porn and online stuff. And I havent fallen and have been in Gods Word daily and last night I feel and I couldnt sleep last night much because of the guilt and shame. Its so hard to just confess my failure and move on and know God has forgiven me cause I feel like I have ruined my testimony online and stuff. This blog helped me and I prayed this morning that God would give me something today that would encourage me and this was it! Thanks man and just pray that I will realize my failure and struggle isnt what God looks at, He just wants to help me back up and push on to the future He has for me! For any men reading this and such I would love to hear some thoughts and tips from you guys, feel free to e-mail me, mccanna@pbc.edu

Ray wrote on May 24th 08 at 02:59PM

*slap* Thanks. I needed that.

Doug wrote on May 24th 08 at 09:04PM

My girlfriend and I have been together for almost 5 years and we now are having problems. I dont even really know how to explain them, I just know we dont seem to get along as well as we use to. I am making this seem a lot less of a problem than it really is, but it is just tearing up our relationship. I love her and am trying to change, but again I am not even certain on what it is I need to change. All I ask for is prayer from someone, please. Thank-you in advance. May God bless!!

Sugga wrote on May 26th 08 at 02:58AM

I just realized tonight that I have a full blown addiction. I am also very aware that if sin leads to death, i am alone in that I will not be able to beat this alone. I know God is my savior, and I know that I belive in him, that his son is my savior, but for the soul of me, I cannot reconcile how my life is worth being even the lowest of the low in the kingdom of heaven. In the end, conviction drives my every thought, but is that enough? Where do I go next? What do I do? I am so lost, but I know the path... Oh god...

Nic wrote on May 26th 08 at 04:30PM

Big thanks! I really needed this!

I wont give up to porn! I want to follow Jesus with all my heart, all my strenght and all my soul.

Thanks!

Barry wrote on May 27th 08 at 09:02AM

Thanks!!, I have been struggling all my life with porn and especially crossdessing porn. I know I am searching for love of a woman, but was jaded by watching porn and thinking this is the way women should act and dress. When I could not find it . I did it myself. I often seek help from counselors and priests but often fall again. I know the devil likes to tept us more when we are trying to get closer to God. I will continue this battle to the day I die and will be victorius in the end!!.

Theo wrote on May 27th 08 at 11:48PM

Dude! That's encouraging of what you wrote. I know I struggle w/ porn, and even though I don't try to look at it in the web; the thoughts always come back to haunt me. Thanks for the reminder that I should focus where I'm going w/ God and not keep on constantly looking at the failures ov my life. This makes me still want to drive to become the Warrior Of God I should be :)

Dustin wrote on May 28th 08 at 12:20AM

I am so grateful for xxxchurch, its founders, and men like you who are not ashamed to confront and name the dtruggle that we all face. Although I usually visit the site only after a relapse, I am grateful, nontheless, for words of encouragement like these that help me to navigate the murky lands that we travel each day.

Thank you, mya God richly bless all of you!

Bill wrote on May 28th 08 at 08:04AM

Steve I thank God for people like you in my life. I know that even though we are "Perfectly imperfect" and may stumble and suffer setbacks I know in my heart that with the support of men like you we can become the men God wants us to be. May God bless you!

steve G wrote on May 28th 08 at 11:44PM

@Bill. Thanks brother, you are a great friend, a great accountability partner and a great man of God... you ARE a great example of what God seeks from all of us, compassion and forgiveness of those who stumble.

Steve G

Steve G wrote on May 29th 08 at 12:04AM

@Theo...
Hey brother, by being here on this site, posting your struggles, your failures and most of all your ability to stand back up and try again shows me that in your life you are not striving to be “...the warrior (you) should be”, you ARE a warrior of God, you are in God's army...perfection did not put you there, desire did.

You are that man who is helping others by sharing your bumps and bruises...you are that man who can look in the mirror and say “I may not be very far up the road, but this is progress which I have made today. My life today, compared with the mess it was yesterday, shows progress!”

You my friend are not only a Great man of God, You ARE a great warrior of God and a good friend to many I am sure.

Thanks for being here.

Steve G

Steve G wrote on May 29th 08 at 12:07AM

@ Dustin...Thanks bro, I appreciate your kind words about the site...Craig and all the great people at xxxchurch have helped so many and I really appreciate your kind words.

Thanks you Great man of God!

Steve G

Steve G wrote on May 29th 08 at 12:09AM

@Barry,

Yes you will be victorious!!! Keep up the fight, keep getting back up and do not let satan keep you down.

Thanks for being here Great man of God!

Steve G

Steve G wrote on May 29th 08 at 12:34AM

@Sugga,

My heart goes out to you brother...but remember Jesus came to this earth not to save the righteous and hang with the pharisees. Jesus Christ came to save the lost. The people most thought unworthy of Christ, the prostitutes, the tax collectors, the broken...these were the people whom Jesus stopped and spent time with.

In Luke 19 we find one of the worst people of that time, Zacchaeus the tax collector. Hated by the business people he ripped off, a true thief...and what did Jesus do? He stopped and said “I must stay at your house today.”

You say in your blog entry “I cannot reconcile how my life is worth being even the lowest of the low in the kingdom of heaven.” Brother, you said you know Jesus in the Son of God and you feel you are the lowest of the low....and I say welcome to the Kingdom of Heaven because you are exactly who Jesus came to spend time with and He will be there to welcome you to the Kingdom.

Jesus judged those who judged and loved those who needed love...and He loves you my friend....so do all of us here on this site.

Sugga, you are a Great man of God and are always welcome here in this community of friends.

Steve G