Savage About Sobriety May 12, 2023

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? - Mark 8:36 (KJV).

I'll start this week's devotional by saying this is not going to be a knock at rich people or anyone who has attained any amount of wealth. I believe Jesus when He said He came so we could have life and have it more abundantly. I believe God wants us to be blessed. I believe this verse is more so referring to a worldly mentality for greed and an obsession to get more than we need. I believe this verse is about seeking worldly things over seeking the kingdom of God. And I believe this verse could be applied to holding onto our past, or parts of our past, that cause us to trip in our new walk with God.

I have spent the majority of my adult life with an obsession for possessions. The - whoever finishes with the most stuff at the end of his or her life wins - mentality. I've collected sports memorabilia, baseball cards, comic books, and shoes. I've bought new vehicles when the one I was driving was just fine. I've bought clothes I didn't need but wanted the "status" of having the newest and nicest things out there. I worked hard for the things I bought only to throw it all away by using drugs and alcohol.

If you've seen the darker side of addiction, then you have no doubt known this kind of loss in your life. Whether it was having things stolen by other users or trading your possessions to the dope man. Most of the stuff was replaceable, while some of it wasn't. My losses have caused me to be overly protective of the things I have now. I still get caught up trying to recoup things I view as still being mine instead of chalking them up as another loss in a long line of losses.

The last time I went to prison, I left a few minor possessions at the house I was living at when I was arrested. Upon my release, I thought it would be a good idea to try and retrieve these items. Why not? I had gotten out of prison with very few possessions left to my name and the thought of losing one more thing was potentially going to push me over the edge. Then, because of the Holy Spirit, another thought occurred to me...there was absolutely nothing worth going back around people still active in their addiction just to get a few replaceable items. I was only clean for 5 months at that point. My sobriety was still too fragile to roll the dice and take a chance on putting myself in that position. Not for my sobriety, and most importantly, not for my new walk with God.

God started reminding me of verses like this from Paul, when he was writing about spending eternity in Heaven...Philippians 3:13 -"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead," (NIV). Then He showed me the promise Jesus made in Matthew 6:33 - "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (KJV). What is the "all" He is referring to? What we shall eat, what we shall drink, and what we shall be clothed with (vs. 31). God provides what we NEED, not necessarily what we WANT, but if you put seeking the kingdom of God as a priority, your wants will start to align with what God's wants for your life.

God has our backs and will restore us and our lives if we commit to having a personal relationship with Him. We don't need to take matters into our own hands and try to force ourselves into a bad situation. Remember, we don't profit by gaining the world if it costs us our soul. Instead of worrying about the things we have left behind in the past, just press toward what is ahead.