God is Not a Means to an End

Change of Heart, Recovery

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 do. If I was...

Working the Steps Is Like Reconstructive Surgery

Recovery, Twelve Steps

Over 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...

Finding Fellowship Through Literature

literature, meetings, Recovery, writing

A 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...

Overcoming Evil

Christ, Recovery

At 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...

Abstinence Is Not Recovery

abstinence, Recovery, Step 3

Abstinence 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....

A Recipe for Recovery

Recovery

There 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...