Step 5 of Life Recovery
05/20/21 • 9 min
The Fifth Step of Life Recovery is about beginning to level our pride which can often hinder our walk with the Lord though the recovery process. In theory many feel that "there is no reason why I cannot admit these things to the Lord and move on.” While this may seem applicable, practical experience teaches us otherwise.
We have found that sharing these experiences with a trusted friend takes the power out of these circumstances. This is accomplished through an understanding relationship and an objective outside opinion. The additional perspective gained by sharing our previous and most troubling circumstances, can bring about tremendous relief and clarity to our lives.
We’re not the point, even though we want to be the point. Our sin nature is naturally bent toward what I want, what I need and what I desire. The revealing of how our sin nature has brought us into a collision course with God and those around us is the exact point of the 5th step. Selfishness and self-centeredness are the root of pride, fear and resentment and many conflicts are birthed from these negative emotions.
What areas are you consistently looking to the world for contentment, purpose, meaning or comfort?
What would change if you began to look toward God and His good design for you?
· “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness’... So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them”
(Genesis 1:26- 27, NIV)
What if we could really grasp that we have intrinsic worth and value because we are made in the image of God?
· “Bring My Sons and My Daughters from the ends of the earth. Everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My Glory, whom I have formed, even whom I have made.” (Isaiah 43:6-7, NASB)
What person does not want to make peace with his past? How many of us enter recovery with deep feelings of shame, fear, pride, resentment or are perplexed about the meaning of past events?
If we can admit to God, ourselves and another human being the exact nature of our wrongs, we will not regret the past anymore. We will better understand how our behavior and attitudes contribute to conflicts and more importantly, we will see how our experiences can benefit others.
The Fifth Step of Life Recovery is about beginning to level our pride which can often hinder our walk with the Lord though the recovery process. In theory many feel that "there is no reason why I cannot admit these things to the Lord and move on.” While this may seem applicable, practical experience teaches us otherwise.
We have found that sharing these experiences with a trusted friend takes the power out of these circumstances. This is accomplished through an understanding relationship and an objective outside opinion. The additional perspective gained by sharing our previous and most troubling circumstances, can bring about tremendous relief and clarity to our lives.
We’re not the point, even though we want to be the point. Our sin nature is naturally bent toward what I want, what I need and what I desire. The revealing of how our sin nature has brought us into a collision course with God and those around us is the exact point of the 5th step. Selfishness and self-centeredness are the root of pride, fear and resentment and many conflicts are birthed from these negative emotions.
What areas are you consistently looking to the world for contentment, purpose, meaning or comfort?
What would change if you began to look toward God and His good design for you?
· “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness’... So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them”
(Genesis 1:26- 27, NIV)
What if we could really grasp that we have intrinsic worth and value because we are made in the image of God?
· “Bring My Sons and My Daughters from the ends of the earth. Everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My Glory, whom I have formed, even whom I have made.” (Isaiah 43:6-7, NASB)
What person does not want to make peace with his past? How many of us enter recovery with deep feelings of shame, fear, pride, resentment or are perplexed about the meaning of past events?
If we can admit to God, ourselves and another human being the exact nature of our wrongs, we will not regret the past anymore. We will better understand how our behavior and attitudes contribute to conflicts and more importantly, we will see how our experiences can benefit others.
Previous Episode
Step 3 of Life Recovery
All of us struggle with this step for two distinct reasons. The first is grappling with the question of why would God allow these terrible things to happen in my life? The difficulty arises from not accepting the fact that Christ is more concerned with the eternal than the temporal issues.
He does not promise us a trouble-free life; He does however, promise us supernatural comfort in difficult times.
Step 3 – Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.
· Many among us have felt unworthy of God’s help and healing, and consequently denied Him the opportunity. We must allow Him to help us in order to fully recover.
· Many of us, due to the impacts of addiction, trauma and broken relationships, have a lack of trust in God and others.
· If we live in isolation and bitterness, it leaves no room for Christ and those who genuinely love us.
· Letting go of our control and our will can cause a great deal of apprehension, especially when we have been unable to trust our parents or authority figures while we were growing up.
· The Third Step is a step out of “insane choices” and a step into serenity. If we can better understand God’s true nature, it’s easier to trust Him with our lives.
· Don’t act on panic or fear. Choosing to wait to decide when we’re not clear on how to proceed is an indication of faith.
· When we can choose to wait instead of acting on impulse to control others or a situation, God will give us clear direction when we ask.
· When we are busy pursuing our impulses or building walls around our lives and hearts, we leave a wake of destruction behind us. There is no room for Christ or our loved ones to operate in our lives.
· The essence of the Third Step is turning our will over to God, so that we can get out of our own way.
· How does the following scripture change the way you understand God’s love and care?
· “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:23, NIV)
· Recovery is a spiritual process that opens the door of faith and trust that leads to hope.
· Things would be different for all of us if we expected God to respond to our problems with God-sized power.
Next Episode
Step 12 of Life Recovery
You might feel apprehensive about sharing the hope of Christ in recovery, do not be discouraged. Just remember to share your experience, strength and hope about Christ and how He saved you from addictions, codependency or trauma and you have said volumes to another.
Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. (Psalm 66:16, NIV)
· Knowing how to properly help others without hurting ourselves in the process is vital to long term recovery from our problems. The scriptures below explain how we are to love and care for others in a biblical way.
We must be cognizant about maintaining good boundaries because there is a fine line between helping another and enabling. In our efforts to reach out to those still suffering, we must practice good self-care, or we will become exhausted and have nothing to give. This means not neglecting our own families and developing a lifestyle that is conducive to health and happiness.
www.FamilyAfterwards.com
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