One Day at a Time

By Bill A. Gaspard, Life Recovery Coach

Even if you have never been in recovery you have probably heard it. ‘One day at a time’ I remember when I first heard some happy go lucky people say this to me after I had just walked in the rooms of recovery. What a crock! That’s what I thought. Do these people really believe this? And is it even biblical? Even the ‘Serenity Prayer’ in its entirety says, ‘Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time.’ But how do you do this? We all struggle with this concept at some point until we surrender to God all the way. And yes it is biblical, and it wasn’t easy back then either. When we read Exodus we get a realistic look at how we all struggle with this concept. The Israelites were only free thirty days. They had just gotten a 30-day chip for being free from the bondage of Egyptian slavery. God just did one of the most amazing things they had ever seen in their lives yet they failed to believe that God would continue to do it. Thirty days into it and we get a glimpse of what was going on in the mind of the recently free Israelite.



“If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. Exodus 16:3


Then God gives Moses an instruction, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions.” Exodus 16:4


Christ even included this concept in the Lord’s Prayer when he taught his disciples how to pray. He told them to pray for ‘This day and our daily bread.’ Luke 11:3. That’s just enough food for the day just like during the Exodus. So what do we need in recovery each day? What do we really need? I believe that we need five things in order to survive each day in recovery.



1. We need to stay sober today – What are we going to do today to ensure that we stay sober for today?



2. We need our daily bread – this is everything that we need for ourselves and our family to survive for the day; food, water, a job, shelter etc.



3. Peace – peace of mind 'serenity' no matter what comes our way today.



4. Freedom – freedom from anger, resentments, fear, anxiety and most of all freedom from cravings.



5. We need to stay in step with God – not to far behind or ahead of God, in step is waiting for God to clear the path. He takes a step then we step in His footprint.



You focus on these five things each day and make them a part of your daily prayer life then praise God at the end of the day for providing all of this for you and you will learn to live, ‘one day at a time.’



"So it is with us. When we seek to live upon yesterday’s realization, we are actually seeking to live in the past, and to live in the past is death. The art of life is to live in the present moment, and to make that moment as perfect as we can by the realization that we are the best instrument and expression of God Himself. The best way to prepare for tomorrow is to make today all that it should be.” Emmett Fox


About the author: Bill A. Gaspard is a Certified Christian Life Coach and Biblical Counselor, dedicated to helping God RECOVER His children through relapse prevention coaching. He is the founder of Christian Recovery Coaching- http://christianrecoverycoaching.com/


Recovery Coaching is one of the most effective ways to prevent relapse and get results in your life. A Christian Life Recovery Coach will come along side you to help you find your purpose and passion in life. We partner with our clients to unlock their God given talents and motivate them towards Christian leadership.