Sometimes people in recovery circles are obsessed with past failures. They repeatedly play scenes of negative events over and over again in their minds.
You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever! (Psalm 30:11-12 NLT)
Recovery can be inhibited by the memory of how someone failed to provide the safety and security we thought we were entitled to. We may also judge and condemn ourselves for our failure to get a job and provide for our loved ones. Another issue we struggle with may be failure to receive justice when an offence was committed against us. Failures of others or our own failures become the dominant things in our thoughts and conversations. Resentment and bitterness multiplies and grows and we become disadvantaged in life because these negative feelings are ruling our lives. Can God help in these circumstances?
Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you. If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath. (Psalm 34:17-18 MSG)When past failures are haunting our thoughts we need to see them as hindrances to our present and future well-being. We need to ask God to heal and restore us from the deep wounds in our soul. We need to see others as sinners in need of forgiveness. We need to set ourselves free from being judges of others’ failure and of our own. We need to accept God’s forgiveness for any hidden sins of bitterness, resentment or malice that we have allowed in our minds and hearts. Failure is not fatal. Bitterness can be.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. (Hebrews 12:1; 15 NLT)
Let’s be honest with ourselves today and ask God to help us deal with this obsessive behaviour. He will help us overcome every past failure and grace us with goodness and mercy every day of our lives.
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