Continued To Take Personal Inventory

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Step Ten – Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

We live in a world that says, “If it feels good do it.” For many of us, in our addiction, we ran after numerous destructive things to try to feel good. Now, in recovery, God invites you and I to measure our quality of life based on principles that He knows give true meaning and satisfaction to our daily living. Many practices that God prescribes, do not feed our “feel good fast” addictive emotions. We struggle to do what is right while favoring what is convenient. One of the purposes of a continual Step 10 inventory is to help us recognize our ongoing temptation to what we believe is a “softer, easier way of life”.

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. (Hebrews 4:12-13 NLT)

The founders of AA were careful to give us reasons and benefits of taking personal inventory: A continuous look at our assets and liabilities, and a real desire to learn and grow by this means, are necessities for us. … The emphasis on inventory is heavy only because a great many of us have never really acquired the habit of accurate self-appraisal. … Learning daily to spot, admit, and correct these flaws is the essence of character-building and good living. An honest regret for harms done, a genuine gratitude for blessings received, and a willingness to try for better things tomorrow will be the permanent assets we shall seek. (Excerpts from The Twelve by Twelves pages 88-95)

Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward. (2 John 8 NLT)

Our old ways of thinking and behaving are being replaced as we journey with God in our new life in recovery. Too many people attempt to piece together a new way of life based on the practices of others and things that seem to “work for us”. The word of God is clear that this way is not sufficient. The only way to build a new life is to study and follow God’s Word in the Bible, which is a blueprint for living. It is important to discipline ourselves to read the word of God and develop a habit of listening to God, rather than simply relying on our own thoughts. We need to learn God’s principles for healthy living and allow those principles to reshape the way we think and act. Step Ten is about bringing our lives to the mirror of God’s Word to assess how we are practicing His principles in all our ways.

Trust in the Lord and do good; live in the land and be safe. Seek your happiness in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desire. Give yourself to the Lord; trust in him, and he will help you. (Psalm 37:3-5a GNT)

It is amazing to see what a human being can achieve through consistent disciplined effort. How many times have we watched athletes and marveled at the ease with which they perform their sport? We know that they developed their ability through rigorous training, the discipline that sets the athlete apart from the spectator. What are we doing from day to day, even moment by moment, to train ourselves to hear and respond to the calling of God in our lives? Are we praying and reading God’s word, allowing it to challenge, stretch, and develop us? We may experience some discomfort in the fact that we are not where we would like to be. However, if we choose to practice these disciplines, regardless of how we feel, we will soon achieve a spiritual ease of living at peace with God, with ourselves, and with our neighbor.

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. (James 1:22, 25 NLT, 1 Timothy 4:7-8 MSG)

Spot-check inventories, daily inventories, and periodic check-up inventories are all practices we are encouraged to use to maintain spiritual, emotional, and relational health.

SPOT CHECK INVENTORY: In each situation where we begin to experience things not going well, we pause and note what’s right and what’s wrong. What are we feeling? What’s going on beneath the feeling? What are we expecting? What is God’s direction in what is going on? Are we living the Golden Rule in this moment, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?”

DAILY INVENTORY: At the end of each day we talk with God about the events of our day and listen for His encouragement, His correction, and His instruction. Where we need forgiving we ask for and receive it from God. Where we notice our good intentions, good thoughts, good actions, we note them and give thanks.

PERIODIC CHECK-UP INVENTORY: On a regular basis we take some time alone or in the company of a sponsor or adviser to make a careful review of our progress. An annual or semi-annual house cleaning of the heart will help us recognize growth as well as defects in need of attention. Some people like to take a day or more, and retreat to a quiet place for a time of prayer, meditation, and review of their lives.

The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. (Psalm 37:23-24 NIV)

God has a plan for our lives which will bring satisfaction, meaning, and joy. As we plot our course, God will direct our steps and we will be enriched by goodness and love through each step of the journey. Our Step Ten inventory will help keep us on the path as we work out God’s good, pleasing and perfect plan for our lives.

 

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTON AND DISCUSSION

1. Am I continuing to take personal inventory as I reflect on God’s principles for my life?
2. When, and in which circumstances, do I hear the addictive voice within me enticing me to an “If it feels good, do it” way of life?
3. What am I doing on a regular basis, to understand and live the principles for life as defined in the Bible?
4. How am I seeking to respond to God’s directives?
5. In what ways am I challenging myself to grow in the new habit of surrendering to God?

 

 

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, Thank You for loving and caring for me. Help me to draw closer to You as I follow Your plan for my life. I ask You to shine your light into any dark areas of my heart and help me sort through my motives and actions. When my actions or attitude differ from what You require of me, help me to promptly re-align my ways in accordance with Yours. I ask You to lead me along the path of peace and love. Help me to be conscious of how I treat others. Help me to be compassionate and self-giving in all my relationships. I desire to be a person who honours You in all I do. AMEN

 

 

 

 

Step Ten: We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. (Psalm 37:23-24 NIV)

“Continued to take personal inventory”: It is amazing to see what a human being can achieve through consistent disciplined effort. How many times have we watched athletes and marveled at the ease with which they perform their sport? We know that they developed their ability through rigorous training, the discipline that sets the athlete apart from the spectator. As we consistently continue to take personal inventory, and promptly adjust any shortcomings, we will achieve the ease of living at peace with God, with ourselves, and with our neighbor.

Paul wrote to Timothy, “Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever.” (1Timothy 4:7-8 MSG)

The word translated “exercise” specifically refers to the disciplined training done by gymnasts in Paul’s day. As Christians, it is necessary to discipline ourselves to read the word of God and develop a habit of listening to God, rather than simply relying on our own thoughts. We need to learn God’s principles for healthy living and allow those principles to reshape the way we think and act. On a daily basis we need to let God’s teaching challenge, stretch, and develop us.

We may experience some discomfort in the fact that we are not where we anticipated we would be at this point in our recovery but, we are making progress. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. (2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT)

Our old ways are being replaced with new skills and a new relationship with God. New things bring new challenges. Taking personal inventory will enable us to assess if the challenges are just the temporary pain of new muscles being built or if vulnerable areas are being exposed. It’s important that our personal inventory starts here.

What are we doing from day to day, even moment to moment, to train ourselves to hear and respond to the voice of God? Are we challenging ourselves to do things like pray and read and study and reflect on the word of God? If we choose to follow this discipline, regardless of how we feel, we will discover surprising truths about how God says life works. We will discover that life is dramatically different from what we have practiced or what we experience around us in everyday society. Our choice is, will we surrender to this new way of living as the healthy way or thoughtlessly fall back into old habits?

Our ongoing inventory helps us see how we are growing in putting God’s way of life into practice. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. (Hebrews 5:14 NLT)

“and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it”: Suppose we looked in a mirror and found we had something smeared around our mouth. We’d be pretty dumb if we didn’t immediately wash our face and clear up the problem. In the same way, we need to routinely look at ourselves in a spiritual mirror. When we notice something is wrong, we can immediately, with God’s help, make the proper adjustments.

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. (James 1:22-24 NLT)

If we put off taking care of a problem that we are aware of, it will not go away just because we avoid dealing with it. The dirt on our face, which the mirror revealed, will not go away until we remove it by washing our face. The same applies to a problem that could lead to relapse in our recovery; it needs to be corrected when we become aware of it. While flexing our “spiritual muscles” we may hear God’s encouraging word or His challenge regarding the issue. We might realize we need to receive healing or need to repent. If we take inventory according to God’s heart and God’s truth, and take the appropriate action to clear the problem, we will move forward in our recovery.

Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know Him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring. (Hosea 6:3 NLT)

Question for Reflection and Discussion

  1. How am I continuing to take personal inventory with God?
  2. What does “when we were wrong, promptly admitted it” look like in daily practice?