Day 89 – Step Work
SERVICE
KEY PRINCIPLE: Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, share this message with others and practice these principles in all you do.
Service will help you grow in the light of the Spirit throughout the rest of your life. In step 10, you learned to evaluate your life each day and to be accountable for your actions. In step 11, you learned to remember the Savior from moment to moment so you might have the guidance of the Holy Ghost as continuously as possible. Step 12 involves the third anchor—service to others—that ensures a continued recovery and a remission of sin.
To remain free of addiction, you must get outside yourself and serve. The desire to help others is a natural result of spiritual awakening.
We MUST get outside ourselves and serve, to remain free from addiction. Do you believe and accept this fact of life in recovery and the gospel, and will you act accordingly? Explain.
Yes, I believe this. The other day, when I was preparing for a lesson I had to teach in Deacons quorum, I looked back through some of my mission pictures. As I went through them, I realized that many of my “best” converts, the ones who went on to serve in the Church in different capacities, were people we had served first or while we were teaching them:
- Sebastien & Carmen Gloria
- Eduardo
- The Ramirez Family
I have pictures doing service with each of these families and all of them have been to the temple, one of them served a mission, and one of them was a bishop.
I believe in service as a way to stay in recovery too. I look forward to being able to help others via sponsorship, speaking, and doing whatever I can to help them feel what I am now feeling.
I also look forward to teaching my own family the things Beck and I have learned together.
Will you use step 12 to show your gratitude to your Heavenly Father for the Gift of Sobriety and to continue to “fine-tune” your spirituality each day, one day at a time? Please share your feelings about the ongoing effort this will require.
Yes, I will do whatever it takes to continue to live in recovery one day at a time. I’m willing to commit the time; I’m willing to share and listen with others. I’m willing to continue to “fine-tune” my spirituality one day at a time.
I honestly hope that I can still meet with a sponsor, or send something to a sponsor as a way of daily accountability – this has been really helpful.
You have a message of hope for other addicts, for all afflicted and troubled people who are willing to consider a spiritual approach to changing their lives, and for anyone seeking truth and righteousness. The message is that God is a God of miracles, just as He has always been (see Moroni 7:29). Your life proves that. You are becoming a new person through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. You will share this message best through your efforts to serve others. As you serve, your understanding and knowledge of this process is strengthened and deepened.
God IS a God of miracles! Please share your testimony of this fact.
My life today is one huge miracle. I was on the verge of destroying my entire life and marriage. Becky could have left me and taken the kids with her. I could have been all alone and miserable for the rest of my life because of the things I’d chosen to do in my addiction. But God was so merciful, both to me and to Becky, to help her and give her patience, faith, and forgiveness.
I sometimes think back about the tough days or the tough discussions Becky and I had. It’s hard to believe now that that even happened. I love Becky with a love today that I don’t know that I’ve ever felt before. I never, ever want to hurt her again.
I’m living in recovery one day at a time. This is something I’ve never been able to do, even on my mission. Lust is something I despise and pray to stay away from often. I never thought this would even be possible as a “natural man.” But miraculously, it is!
I’m so grateful for what I feel and understand today. I know that today is all I can do. I understand better now about the concept of one day at a time – this is miraculous too.
I look forward to today. I look forward to submitting my will to God today and doing my best to live in recovery.
I’m grateful for the Gospel that is directing my down the path of true happiness.
Does your life prove this? Explain how.
My life definitely proves that the plan of happiness is real and true. I was in the darkest of darkness and now, as I’m living the gospel one day at a time, I feel a complete difference in my life.
I’m grateful for the story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s and their “burying their weapons of war.” This is how I have to be too in order to stay away from my addictive tendencies.
I’m grateful for recovery meetings and how they give me added strength during the week.
I’m grateful to be able to talk with Becky each night, assess my day, and emotionally connect with her.
Today my life is what I really want it to be!
Are you truly becoming a “new person” through the Savior’s Atonement? Explain how.
Yes! I don’t know that I’ve ever felt as close as I do now to the Savior and His Atonement. Never in my life did I think it would be possible to stop looking at women from the chin down. As I submit my will to Him, though, I’ve realized this is possible. And it’s what I want to do, it’s what I have to do, in order to live in recovery today.
I’m so grateful for this “change of heart.” I’m so grateful that I’m becoming a “new person” through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
I look forward to today as I live in recovery!
Sharing your testimony of His mercy and His grace is one of the most important services you can offer. Bearing the burdens of others through acts of kindness and selfless service is part of your new life as a follower of Christ (see Mosiah 18:8).
Do you feel prepared to serve in this manner? Describe your feelings about this.
Yes! As I taught the lesson on Sunday about making choices, I felt like I was doing this already. Sharing my experiences about choices, even though I didn’t have to go into detail, felt so good. I have such hope that the boys heard and understand and applied what we talked about.
I want to do this more. I want to share my experience with those who have lost hope or who are on the edge of dark cliffs of despair.
I want to serve my Heavenly Father as a way to show Him how grateful I am for His forgiveness and help in my recovery one day at a time.
President Ezra Taft Benson taught: “Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life in the service of God will find eternal life” (“Jesus Christ—Gifts and Expectations,” Ensign, Dec. 1988, 4).
Has God blessed your life in the way President Benson has described? Please give examples of each.
God has made a lot more out of my life than I can. He has given me direction, both in spiritual matters, and also in temporal things. My joy is definitely deeper, especially with my relationships with my immediate family. Like I said earlier, I haven’t felt such closeness and connection with Becky as I do today. I love her so much and cherish her companionship and friendship.
I feel I have such a better vision today about what’s most important. I no longer think too far ahead. Instead, I live today and try to submit my will to God. I feel I have ideas and focus and direction that is so much more clear today than it’s ever been.
I am so grateful for all of these blessings and feel so much peace and love from my Heavenly Father.
I am prepared and willing to “lose my life in the service of God” in order to “find eternal life.”
What does it mean to you to “lose your life” in God’s service?
It means that I will do whatever He wants me to do.
It means that I will put first things first and dedicate time to serving Him by serving His children who need my experience and hope.
It means that I will completely submit my will to Him and rely on Him in every moment.
I’m willing to do this and feel I’ve already started this process.
How have you experienced this aspect of the program so far?
I feel working the steps of recovery one day at a time, dedicating my time, especially at the first of the day, is one way I’ve experienced this already. I feel making time to go to recovery meetings is one way I’ve shown that I’m willing to “lose myself.”
I feel that writing in my journal, saying prayers in the moment of temptation, saying prayers of gratitude, and studying the words of the prophets – these are ways I’m “losing myself” in God’s service.
I feel that talking to Becky about how our day has gone is another manifestation of this. This is helping one another in our recoveries. I feel that as I listen to the Holy Ghost, He is directing me for good and helping me submit with a “broken heart and a contrite spirit.”
I love this program and want to continue to be a part of it for the rest of my life.
Are you ready to “raise the bar?” Describe how you feel about this.
I’m ready to do whatever it takes to remain in recovery one day at a time. Whatever “raising the bar” means – yes, I’m ready to do it.
What I feel strongest about is that I don’t want to just be on my own to work on my recovery here and there moving forward. I want to submit, return and report, and be there for others as they are trying to rid their life of addiction.
I look forward to whatever the future brings and whatever “raising the bar” means for me.
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