July 01, 2009
12 Steps And The Bible
Alcoholism, drug abuse and eating disorders are often misunderstood.
These diseases include a soul-sickness. The people in the grips of these afflictions are spiritually ill, too. The illness can even spread to family members and friends.
The recovery process has produced countless untold miracles!
The very process of hitting bottom and admitting powerlessness is often the only thing that will bring about true change. Alcoholics Anonymous and The Big Book, speaks of standing at the turning point.
It is the place that all addicts must come to and finally make a choice to either go on to the bitter end or seek spiritual help.
You don’t have to have an addiction to choose God.
However, real transformation often comes only from suffering. It’s the way of the cross, the redeeming death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Lives are changed through a spiritual awakening, by taking a fearless moral inventory, by making amends and living a life of service to others.
Higher Power - 12 Steps And The Bible
As Christians we have a belief in a loving God who sent Jesus, His only begotten son, who died for our sins and saving us by grace.
While many in recovery programs, such as the 12 Step programs, profess a belief in a Higher Power, not all choose to name that Higher Power Jesus Christ or even God. That’s okay. AA, the original 12 Step Program, states that it is not a religion.
The AA program makes it clear that anyone can choose a God of their understanding. Rather than criticizing such an approach to spirituality we can use it as a starting point.
The Spirit At Work - 12 Steps And The Bible
Christians who utilize the 12-steps for recovery have discovered that the steps create a greater and deeper understanding of God’s love and redemptive power.
At the root of all addictions is the sin of self-will. The seduction of self sufficiency can separate us from God.
Whenever we choose to run our lives without accepting and submitting to God’s will for us, we are headed for trouble. Anything that opens up a mind and heart to the need for God and creates a willingness to seek God...is a great thing.
It’s A Process - 12 Steps And The Bible
Recovery is a process. God working in us to renew us and restore us to health and sanity is scriptural. See Romans 12:2 and Philippians 2:12-13.
This process is accomplished by God working through others. Intensive work with others who are suffering from the same addictions is how those in recovery maintain their sobriety.
God has always worked through people. You can see evidence of this when one addict or alcoholic helps another.
The challenge for all caught in the compulsive and obsessive behavior of addictions is to replace the pleasurable experiences that come from drinking, drugs, or food with something more meaningful and lasting.
This is what a spiritual experience does.
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Transformation Prayer Guide
This 52-week prayer guide offers suggested prayers for each day of the week.
The guide is focused on inviting the passion and presence of the Lord to transformation our personal and family lives, our churches, and communities.
Through Christ-centered transformation, the power of God is unleashed to restore hope and joy that leads to a decline in divorce, bankruptcy, and suicide.
This 64-page prayer guide also encourages…
- A children’s prayer movement
- Teaching principles of transformation
- Local churches to develop “cultures of prayer”
- Networking intercessory prayer movements
See ya next month!
Bob and Shelley
Founders/Recovery Network