DAILY INVENTORY

In Principle 7 and Step 10, we begin to apply what we have discovered in the first six principles and nine steps: We humbly live in reality, not denial; we have done our best to make amends for your past; we desire to grow daily in our new relationships with Jesus Christ and others.

God has provided us with a daily checklist for our new lifestyle. It’s called the “Great Commandment”;

“Jesus said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.”(Matthew 22:37-40, The Message)

James 1:22 encourages us: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what is says.” When we practice the Great Commandment, we become doers of God’s Word, living examples of Christ. Our walk lines up with our talk! The apostle Paul lived that way. He says in 1 Thessalonians 1:5 (TLB), “Our very lives were further proof to you of the truth of our message.”

There are three ways to do a Step 10 inventory.

Ongoing

We can do this periodically throughout the day. The best time to admit we are wrong is the exact time that we are made aware of it! Why wait? We need to make amends ASAP! We will sleep a lot better at night!

Daily

At the end of each day we need to look over our daily activities – the good and the bad. We need to search for where we might have harmed someone or where we acted out of anger or fear. The best way to do this is to keep a journal! Then the next morning as promptly as we can, we need to admit mistakes and make our amends.

Periodic

Every tree months, get away for a “mini retreat.” Bring your daily journal with you. Pray and read your daily entries. As God to show you areas in your life that you can improve over the next ninety days and the victories that you have made in the last ninety days! The Bible gives us instructions on how to avoid the necessity of making an amends in Step 10.

“Intelligent people think before they speak; what they say is then more persuasive.” (Proverbs 16:23, GNB)

“Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk (ever) come out of your mouth, but only such (speech) as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others.” (Ephesians 4:29, AB)

“A wise, mature person is known for his understanding. The more pleasant his words, the more persuasive he is.” (Proverbs 16:21, GNB)

“A word of encouragement does wonders!” (Proverbs 12:25, TLB)

“If I had a gift of being able to speak in other languages without learning them, and could speak in every language there is in all of heaven and earth, but didn’t love others, I would only be making noise.” (1 Corinthians 13:1, TLB)

Step 10 daily action plan

1. Continue to take a daily inventory, and when you are wrong, promptly make your amends.
2. Summarize the events of your day in your journal.
3. Read and memorize on of the Step 10 verses (see above)
4. Work all steps and principles to the best of your ability.

The key verse for this lesson is Mark 14:38: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

Principle 7: Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will.

Step 10: We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12)

Principle 7a Prayer

Dear God, thank You for today. Thank You for giving me the tools to work my program and live my life differently, centered in Your will. Lord, help me make a mends promptly and ask for forgiveness. In all my relationships today help me to do my part in making them healthy and growing. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen