Healing a Step at a Time
I believe it is imperative that we become knowledgeable and help others with relapse prevention, for both the addict and his or her family. I have great concern for the large number of people who are finding themselves relapsing into substance abuse. The word "Relapse" means to go back to the original or former state. It is common for addicts to isolate themselves from those who could help them, but if they were honest about their addiction and where they are at with it, most would admit that they are in a process of relapsing.
If you followed them, you would find most of them hanging out with other addicts. This is usually one of the ways of hiding from their addiction. Some addicts may just hang out with themselves and think that no one will find out about their condition of having relapsed. However, one thing is certain; God knows everything that we do as addicts. If we are able to pull off a con job without people knowing it, we are definitely in denial of our addiction, aside from any personal or support program of recovery having the benefit intended for freedom from addiction. The Lord sees us totally with nothing hidden and nothing covered.
Personal Story of Bob McKigney
I was thirty-one years old when I started my recovery. I was drinking a half a gallon of alcohol every day previous to my recovery. During the first two years of my recovery, it was very difficult to stay clean and sober. I did not know very much about relationship skills as I do today. I now have twenty-three years of sobriety. I thank God for my clean time. A group called "King's Kids" played a mayor role in my recovery. I also became a friend with a lot of the people there. Relationship skills are very important to me today.
Another important part of my recovery is reading books, listening to tapes, and other related materials. These all have given me strength and hope to work my program. I believe a person in a recovery program needs to have God in his or her everyday recovery process. The Bible teaches in John 16:13 that "...He will guide you [us] into all truth..." This means that we have to ask Him to be part of our personal affairs. In Proverbs 3:5-6 it states that "...Do not lean on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths."
We must seek God's direction each day for His will in our lives. When we do this the peace of God will restore us in right relationship with Him. As we seek God's direction, He is faithful to restore us to His glory. As we work the steps toward recovery, healing will come as we work our program.
Whatever the issues may be Christians are not exempt from relapse. One of the reasons this happens is because they don't adequately care for their own lives. People have to deal with the core issues that predisposed them towards their addictions. See Psalms 145:18 and Isaiah 30:1-5.
There is healing as we are pursuing personal recovery. I am not talking about a quick fix. Some people think that all they have to do is go to church, get saved and all their issues will eventually go out the door. That is not true! Such thinking is absurd and foolish. Please do not misunderstand me. I definitely believe in freedom from addiction in the Blood of Christ. However, we must exercise God given common sense and position ourselves to receive and apply God's principals for personal growth, wisdom and abundant living in the midst of trials and blessings, remembering that the sun shines and the rain falls on both the just and unjust. Please read Psalm 107:19-20, Psalm 147:3 and Ephesians 3:20.
One of my counselees could quote you every scripture that had to do with the blood of Jesus, how his sins were washed away, and calling those things that were not as though they were. He had a knowledge of these things in his head to confess them, but they were not manifested in his heart. He continued to fall into the same rut of sexual addiction he was struggling with and could not figure out why. He couldn't get past his stinking thinking. Unresolved sexual abuse issues would not only bombard his mind but also hide a broken part of his heart that only God in His love could heal. He still struggles with issues but the word of God is now in his heart and not just in his head, whereby of a certainty he knows that HEALING IS ONE STEP AT A TIME with God's help.
Recommended Steps To Re-Enter Recovery
- We must start going to meetings on a regular basis.
- We need to be attending a twelve-step recovery group in order to better understand our own addictions, to and learn from the experiences of others in the recovery process.
- Working the steps that will affect our everyday lives.
- Working the steps increases our ability to remain sober.
- Living the steps, with God as our higher power, helps us to stay sober.
- Have a sponsor that we can meet with on a regular basis.
- We must belong to a home group for personal accountability for the maintaining our sobriety.
When we do not work steps for our recovery we set ourselves up for a relapse in a major way. One author puts it this way: "People who do not work the steps in the (their) recovery program are not in full recovery." This statement holds great validity. If we desire healthy sobriety, we will have to put concerted efforts into our recovery. Then we can stand tall with the Lord in our sobriety.
Are you working the steps to your recovery?
For more information on this subject feel Free to contact Pastor Bob McKigney at:
Grace Counseling Ministry
towtruckministry@yahoo.com
website: http://gracecounseling.bravehost.com
(206)314-7777
