The Iron Diva: R is for Recovery is Life [A-Z Blog Challenge]

Theme A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q

Recovery is Life

The eight Celebrate Recovery Principles:

Realize I’m not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable.

"Happy are those who know that they are spiritually poor."

Matthew 5:3

Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him and that He has the power to help me recover.

"Happy are those how mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Matthew 5:4

Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.

"Happy are the meek."

Matthew 5:5

Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust.

"Happy are the pure in heart."

Matthew 5:8

Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects.

"Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires"

Matthew 5:6

Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me
and make amends for harm I’ve done to others when possible, except when to do so would harm them or others.

"Happy are the merciful." – Matthew 5:7

"Happy are the peacemakers" – Matthew 5:9

Reserve a time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will.

Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and my words.

"Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires."

Matthew 5:10

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As much as these principles were designed specifically with addiction in mind, the Bible passages--spoken by Jesus Christ Himself--were not disseminated to a roomful of addicts in a recovery meeting. They were preached to a hillside full of ordinary people who knew they needed them, and religious people who thought they were too good to need them.

These principles are not just for "those" people. These principles should operate in lives of all of us who seek to know God. Everybody hurts. Everybody has "stuff" to deal with:

Principle 1 lets us know that no matter how much human effort we put behind it, no true change comes without the divine intervention of the one true Higher Power.
Principle 2 gives us more self esteem that any self-help book could ever draw out. You matter to God Almighty, Creator of the universe. This was the hardest principle for me to accept. C'mon God, I'm just one of the billions of humans You made. I'm just the runt of the litter. I know, God, You made me special just like everyone else. But no, God says things like "You are the apple of my eye" (Deuteronomy 32:10). and "You are the temple of My Holy Spirit" (I Corinthians 6:19).
Principle 3 eases our minds and lets us know we don't have to try to control everything. God is a good God. If we truly turn our lives over to the care of God, His ultimate good will shine through. (Romans 8:28)
Principle 4 brings us friends, true friends, who are "Jesus with skin on." These are not "yes men" who never keep us accountable. Nor are they "no men" who constantly pee on our dreams and are jealous of our success. They are that friends that "stick closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24)
Principle 5 reveals the power of the first four principles. We are able to embrace change--even look forward to it. We also understand that change is not instant, but gradual. (II Corinthians 3:18)
Principle 6 restores relationships and trains us on how to build a better, long lasting network of significant people.
Principle 7 improves our conscious contact with God. We learn more about Him and His plan for each of us. (Psalm 119:105, Jeremiah 29:11)
Principle 8 gives us a chance to share what we've learned with others. (II Timothy 4:2)