Overcoming Hangups – Devotionals (with scripture)
Monday, September 16, 2024, Read 1 Peter 5:7 - Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Anxiety tops the list of hangups. We are worried about so many things – our finances, our health, the safety of our children, moral decline, future well-being, and the list goes on. Many of us carry the weight of anxiety into our everyday lives, worried about things that will never materialize. This is not God’s plan for our lives. That’s why He encourages us to cast ALL our anxiety on Him. Why? Because, like a good parent, He loves us and cares for us and wants to help us carry all our burdens – whether real or imagined.

Tuesday, September 17, 2024, Read Ephesians 4:22-24 - 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Putting off our “old self” and putting on our “new self” is a daily process. As we deal with the big issues of recovery, we discover flaws in our character (anger, arrogance, depression, envy, fear, lack of self-control, perfectionism, procrastination) that keep us from being the people God created us to be. It’s important to acknowledge our character flaws and offer them to God, so that He can help us become the people He created us to be.

Wednesday, September 18, 2024, Read 2 Corinthians 10:5 - 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
It is important to take an inventory of our lives to determine if a course correction is needed. We need to ask ourselves probing questions like: • Do I see myself heading down a road that won’t end well for me? • Am I tempted to do something I know is wrong? • Have I seen myself react in an inappropriate way? • Am I aware of certain relationships that aren’t good for me? • Am I involved in a situation that I know could lead to disaster? We all have the God-given power to take control of our choices and our reactions and make them obedient to Christ. So, what course corrections do you need to make today.

Thursday, September 19, 2024, Read Psalm 107:13: - Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
Many of us struggle with fear. It might be the fear of disappointing someone, the fear of failure, or the fear of making a costly mistake. Fear can be crippling and can keep us from moving forward in life. But fear is like walking into a dark room. Once the lights are out, everything seems different and we begin to imagine the worst, when in reality nothing has changed but our perception. Fear distorts our perception and makes us lose our sense of reality. That’s when we need to turn on the light of God’s Word and let His truth shine brightly upon our lives.

Friday, September 20, 2024, Read Psalm 30:11-12 - You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
Take a moment to celebrate what God is doing in your life. Rather than focusing on your hurt, habit, or hangup, start rejoicing in the change God is working in your life right now. He’s taking away your pain and replacing it with purpose. He’s turning your crying into praise. He’s offering you joy, peace, and freedom in the place of sorrow, anxiety, and bondage. So, CELEBRATE YOUR RECOVERY and rejoice in the hope, help, and healing available to you through faith in Jesus Christ.