Joel M Bradshaw

watch over their flock by night. 9And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.10And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.19But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.–Luke 2

I lead the Celebrate Recovery ministry at my church. And at a Christmas party I once read the famous Christmas story from Luke 2 and shared these five quick points.

1. THE SHEPHERDS WERE AFRAID, BUT TRUSTED GOD.
2. THE SHEPHERDS RECEIVED GOOD NEWS.
3. THE SHEPHERDS WASTED NO MORE TIME.
4. THE SHEPHERDS WERE A BLESSING TO OTHERS.
5. THE SHEPHERDS SHARED THEIR STORY PRAISING GOD.

It can be a terrifying thing for someone to face their past. We are all in some way addicted to ourselves and our selfishness. I look back at my own moral and spiritual inventory I filled out years ago and realized I had a problem. In my fear, all I could do was trust God.

The good news is that Jesus Christ is the one who authors hope. Turn to Jesus in faith and trust in Him. The shepherds received that good news. I journey with men and women who have trusted Jesus in their recovery journeys and have seen deliverance from their addictive behaviors for many years!

The shepherds didn’t sit down and ponder matters, they got right to work. Now is the time to stop living in denial and to go to that first meeting. It’s always the right day to make a good choice that honors God. Don’t waste any more time!

Part of the recovery process is being a blessing to others. All are encouraged to make amends to the ones they have hurt when it is possible. All are encouraged to forgive the people who hurt them. The shepherds blessed the entire town with the greatest of news!

The best part about Celebrate Recovery are the testimonies. They display hope in action and the canvas upon which Jesus paints a masterpiece! The shepherds shared their story and all were amazed. They gave God glory and praised Him. The best testimonies do this as well.

Our stories may have seemed broken and messy. They may have had selfish seasons of addiction. But there is hope in Jesus. He takes our mess and turns it into His message. Be like the shepherds, my friends.–JMB