I’m reading Step 3 right now of the Addiction Recovery Manual and this sentence really stuck out to me:
[The submission to the Lord] requires us to rededicate ourselves to His will at the start of each day and sometimes every hour or even from moment to moment. As we are willing to do so, we find the grace, or enabling power, to do what we could not do for ourselves.
This was really helpful in understand God’s grace more. In Step 2 in talks about “The gift of grace”. It says,
His grace is the means by which you can repent and be changed. In what ways have you felt the gift of grace in your life?
I wasn’t really sure how to answer that question the first time because I’m not sure I understood how the grace of God is manifest.
What I realize now is that every time I say a prayer saying, “Heavenly Father, please help me not to look at that…” or “I need Thy help today to have a clean mind or not be angry…” that feeling I get right after I submit my will to God is the grace that this quote and question are talking about.
I’m grateful for the grace of God that helps me when I ask.
I’m grateful for agency and that I can give God my agency and let Him direct my path for good.
It goes on to say in Step 3:
Continued submission to God’s will reduces strife and brings more meaning to our lives…We accept and treat others as we would like to be treated, as the Savior would treat us all…
Each new day we renew our submission to the Lord and His will…We have decided to let go of the self-will and self-seeking that were at the root of our addictions and enjoy another 24 hours of the sereity and strenght that come from trusting in God and in His goodness, power, and love.
Romans 8:28 “…all things work together for good to them that love God” and keep His commandments.
Question 1 – Step 3:
Consider what it means to live your life in harmony with the will of God. Think about how His enabling power can come into your life as you turn to Him. How do you feel about letting God direct your life?
I feel so much more sure that this CAN and WILL happen this time around. I feel as I’ve been consistently striving to submit my will to Him via scripture study and personal prayer, I’ve been given His grace to fight off temptation and have more of a personal relationship with Him. I feel strongly that there is NO WAY I can overcome this addiction without God’s direction in my life.
I feel like I making great progress with His help and with the help of a sponsor. I feel it’s important to not rely on my sponsor for guidance; I need to make sure my conversation with God is even more in-depth and honest and that I ask for His help in ALL things, not just my addiction.
What prevents you from allowing Him to direct your life?
I feel mostly it has been the lack of consistency in the “small and simple things” – reading my scriptures and personal prayer.
I also feel it has been fear of not being able to completely submit my will to Him.
I don’t feel I’m completely there yet but feel I’m making progress in the right direction.
I also feel my own pride has been a preventative thing: I feel like sometimes I think I can do this on my own, or I get upset with others and just “don’t care”, things like that.
More to come…
Nate
Recent Comments