I used to treat God as a means to an end. When I turned to Him, I always had some agenda, a goal or purpose for seeking Him. I had a reason for doing good, being good. If I did what God wanted me to do, then He’d (hopefully) do what I wanted Him to […]
Read More Christ, goals, grace, idolatry, mercy, peace, prideOver three decades of my life, from age 34 to 64 years old, the Lord has led me to return to the Twelve Steps of recovery over and over again. He has used the Steps to peel away my pride, one layer at a time. It’s sort of like reconstructive surgery. You can’t reconstruct an […]
Read More little bit, recovery, twelve stepA solid program of recovery includes consistent fellowship with others in recovery. Shared messages of experience, strength and hope makes both the speaker and the listener stronger. It bolsters commitment to a recovered way of life. But sometimes, you just can’t get to a meeting. Or you’ve called your sponsors* and no one is available. […]
Read More fellowshipAt a conference a few years ago, a talked about how important it is to fight the adversary, to do combat with him. I suppose that on the surface this seems like a good idea, but my heart cried out, “No!” I wanted to jump from my seat and proclaim what I perceive to be […]
Read More atonement, Christ, grace, surrender, willpowerAbstinence is not always recovery. What?!? Many people want to believe that abstinence is the end-all of a Twelve Step program. While it’s extremely important, abstinence is the result, not the goal. Recovery is not born of abstinence. Abstinence grows from recovery. Rather than focusing on how long we’ve been abstinent, our emphasis should be […]
Read More abstinence, Christ, pride, recoveryThere are only two ingredients in the recipe of recovery—conscious contact with God and honesty. Conscious Contact. To make conscious contact with God, you must first believe it is possible. If you’re not sure you believe you can do it, that’s okay. Start where you are and pray for the Lord’s help. Believe that your […]
Read More conscious contact, honestyWhat is Free Step Friday (#freestepfriday)? Click here for details. Scripture Mosiah 27:29—My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss;…My soul was racked with eternal torment. Gall of bitterness? Bonds of iniquity? Darkest abyss? Racked with eternal torment? Have you ever heard a […]
Read More scripture study, twelve step, writingI, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance. (1 Nephi 1:20; emphasis added) Abstinence is not a result of anything I do. It is a result of the […]
Read More abstinence, deliveryAnd I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. (Luke 11:9) A Twelve Step program is a crash course in how to prepare to meet God. If you sincerely follow the twelve steps, you will not only recover from […]
Read More Christ, recoveryPart 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 [This post is excerpted from Chapter 3 of From Heartache to Healing: Finding Power in Christ to Deal with a Loved One’s Sexual Addiction by Colleen C. & Philip A. Harrison.] Coming to Know the Unfailing Love of God, Even […]
Read More atonement, Christ, humility, imperfection, recovery, repentance