Escaping The Trap: Ask Yourself

Living Free Every Day®

Today's Scripture
"Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and He will help you." Psalms 37:5 NLT

Thoughts for Today
Yesterday we talked about being honest concerning life-controlling problems. Sometimes it is hard to identify this kind of problem. Below are some questions to ask yourself. Your answers will help identify a dependency or behavior that is pulling you down.

• Is my behavior practiced in secret?
• Can it meet the test of openness? Or do I hide it from family and friends?
• Does this behavior pull me away from my commitment to Christ or those who care about me?
• Does it express Christian love?
• Is this behavior used to escape feelings?
• Does it have a negative effect on myself or others?

Can you identify a relationship or behavior or substance that is trapping you? The only way to escape the trap is to come to a point where you resolve to live a life free of the behavior or whatever is mastering youand to commit everything you do to the Lord.

Consider this
If your answers to the questions above point toward the development of a life-controlling problem, please be honestwith yourself, with God, and with a person who cares for you. Ask God for his forgivenessand his help. He loves you unconditionally. Let him lead you out of that trap. As you commit your ways to him and trust him, he will help you.

Prayer
Father, I realize now that I am being controlled more by this behavior than by my commitment to you and to doing what pleases you. Please forgive me. Help me get my eyes back on you and trust you. Help me to do things your way. In Jesus' name

These thoughts were drawn from

Insight Group: Discover the Path to Christian Character by Jimmy Ray Lee, D.Min. With its emphasis on developing Christian character it is a powerful group for those who want to be sure to prevent life-controlling problems from developing in their lives, as well as for those who need to overcome a current problem.

• It enhances people's understanding of themselves and others.
• It helps people bond together in meaningful relationships.
• It helps prepare people for more meaningful relationships in subsequent small groups like home groups and Sunday school classes.
• It surfaces people for help who may otherwise never seek help.
• It helps break down the segregation of people in churches, turning "those people" and "our kind of people" into just "us."
• It helps prepare people to minister to others.
• It serves as a powerful evangelistic tool by ministering to people's felt needs and then pointing them to Christ.

Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups, and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.

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