Recovery

Addicts talk alot about recovery- Recovering Alcoholics-Recovering Drug Addicts=Recovering Sex Addicts........... Well, I am more and more coming to believe that I am a recovering sin addict. In fact I am wondering if all of us who have been brought from death to life by the work of Jesus are not really just recovering sin addicts. Now wait a minute before you start picking this statement apart to see if it fits your theology- Slow Down- Whoa Horsey- This is not about trying to fit a theology. Please don't get sidetracked by things like A.A.'s talk of a higher power- I resolutely, uneqivocally believe with all my heart there is only 1 True God and that His perfect expression to men is Christ Jesus. All my being is found in Him.In Him I live and move and breathe! Amen! My point is that as a recovering sin addict I must be diligent to participate in my recovery. There is a path to recovery (sanctification) for the addict. Let me be clear once again-I am not talking here about a path to salvation, but a path to living the life I long for. There is a way to get back to what was lost- to recover the life I was made for. Most of the addiction groups talk about a 12 step program. Many of the steps align very well the Christian Faith- Surrender to God- Admitting our need for a Saviour and so on........ I think the difficult part that we may have missed the boat on as Christians is the fearless moral inventory of own hearts and the admission to God and at least one other person our sin- specificly- fearlessly- in the present tense and unrelentingly. Instead of taking active participation in my own recovery as a sin addict I would rather gloss it over and hide it- you know- "I can handle this stuff- I really don't need to go there- It's really all just so ugly, and besides anyone I share any of my struggles with will think I am crazy or worse..... They might not like me any more. It's all so uncomfortable and so hard. Everyone else has it all together. I am the only one with these struggles. Lies, lies, lies, and more lies our enemy the Devil brings up to keep us in hiding- To isolate us from our brothers and sisters who can help us find the freedom Christ won for us. Father God, empower me- move my heart with courage to be intentional about participating in my own recovery- to engage my brothers and sisters in Christ to live everyday authentically as such a community of believers that we are able to experience more and more the life You have for us. Amen