Celebrate Recovery Lesson 20 focuses on the practice of daily inventory, a key component of Principle 7 and Step 10 of the recovery program. Principle 7 emphasizes reserving daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer to understand His will and gain the power to follow it. Step 10 instructs participants to continue taking personal inventory and promptly admit when they are wrong. This practice is essential for maintaining spiritual growth and healthy relationships.
There are three primary approaches to conducting a daily inventory. The first is an ongoing inventory, where individuals reflect on their actions and words throughout the day, admitting mistakes and making amends immediately upon becoming aware of them to prevent harm to relationships. The second approach is a daily review, typically conducted at the end of the day, where one reflects on their activities, considering how they showed love, acted unlovingly, maintained serenity, demonstrated patience, and upheld faithfulness and self-control. This reflection often involves journaling to identify patterns and triggers for negative behaviors. The third method is a periodic inventory, recommended every three months, which involves a "mini retreat" to review journal entries, pray, and seek God's guidance for improvement and celebration of victories.
The lesson encourages participants to use the Great Commandment—loving God and loving others—as a daily checklist for their new lifestyle. It also provides specific questions to guide the daily reflection, such as whether one's actions reflected the joy of their relationship with the Lord, if they were kind or unkind, and if they kept their word. The key verse for this lesson is Mark 14, which urges vigilance and prayer to avoid temptation. The lesson also includes a daily action plan: continuing to take inventory, summarizing the day in a journal, memorizing a Step 10 verse, and working all steps and principles to the best of one's ability.
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