Freedom in Forgiveness

Bible reading: Matthew 6:9 – 15

Step 3: We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)

Principle 3: Consciously choose to commit all of my life and will to Christ care and control.

“Happy are the meek.” (Matthew 5:8)

We can sometimes get so focused on ourselves during recovery that we don’t spend much time dealing with the way others have sinned against us. Or maybe were totally focused on the way we’ve been mistreated, as an excuse for our behavior. This leaves us with emotional baggage that will hinder our progress. Forgiving others is an important key to turning our will over to God.

James taught his disciples, “Pray along these lines: ‘Our Father in heaven, we honor Your holy name. We ask that Your kingdom will come now. May Your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven. Give us our food again today, as usual, and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. Don’t bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Amen.’ Your heavenly Father will forgive you if you forgive those who sin against you; but if you refuse to forgive them, He will not forgive you’” (Matthew 6:9 – 15).

Forgiveness is a choice of our will. Just as our forgiveness was not based on excusing the wrongs we’ve done, neither does our forgiveness of others call for us to excuse what they’ve done. We must 1^st convicted offender in our minds, then turned the matter of vengeance over to God. This helps his face the truth about our own pain. It also frees us from any excuse to continue our compulsive behavior because of what’s been done to us.

Forgiveness begins as a choice but becomes a process that opens us up to God’s love and forgiveness.

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It Works

It works – it really does!

When I got sober I initially had faith only in the program of Celebrate Recovery. Desperation and fear Me sober (and maybe a caring and/or tough sponsor helped!). Faith in our one and only Higher Power, Jesus Christ, came much later. This faith came slowly at 1^st, after I began listening to others share it meetings about their experiences – experiences that I had never faced sober, but that they were facing with strength from a Higher Power named Jesus Christ. Out of their sharing came hope that I too would – and could – “get” a Higher Power. In time, I learned that a Higher Power named Jesus Christ – a faith in Him that works under all conditions – is possible. Today, this faith in Jesus Christ, plus the honesty, open-mindedness and willingness to work the steps of the program, give me the serenity that I seek. It works – it really does!

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Self-Control

Bible reading: 2^nd Peter 1:2 – 9

Step 3: We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)

Principle 3: Consciously choose to commit all of my life and will to Christ care and control.

“Happy are the meek.” (Matthew 5:8)

We would love to have self-control! The trying to find it within ourselves can become as much of an obsession as our primary addiction.

According to Peter, self-control is one step in the middle of a larger progression. He said, “Do you want more and more of God’s kindness in peace? Then learn how to know him better and better. For as you know him better, he will give you, through his great power, everything you need for living a truly good life: he that shares his own glory and his own goodness with us! And by that same mighty power he has given us all the other rich and wonderful blessings he promised; for instance, the promise to save us from the lust and rottenness all around us, and to give us his own character. But to obtain these gifts, you need more than faith: you must also work hard to be good, and even that is not enough. For then you must learn how to know God better and discover what he wants you to do. Next, learn to put aside your own desires [self-control] so that you will become patient godly, gladly letting God have his way with you. This will make possible the next step, which is for you to enjoy other people and to like them, and finally you will grow to love them deeply” (2 Peter 1:2 – 7).

Self-control is something that comes as we grow progressively closer to God. Taking one step at a time, one day at a time, God will give us his own character, including self-control.

Our self-control increases as we give increasing control over to God.

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One Celebrate Recovery Miracle

Save for a few brief moments of temptation, the thought of returning to my addiction has never returned; and at such times a great revulsion has risen up in me. Seemingly I could not return to my addiction even if I would. God has restored my sanity.

The word “God” was frightening to me when I 1^st saw it associated with Celebrate Recovery’s 12 steps. Having tried all means I could to stop my addiction, I found that it was not possible for me to sustain that desire over a period of time. Yet, how could I believe in “God” that had allowed me to sink to the deep despair that engulfed me – whether drinking or dry?

The answer was in finally admitting that it might be possible for me to know the mercy of a Power greater than myself who can grant me sobriety contingent on my willingness to “come to believe”. I finally admitting that I was one among many, and by following the example of my sponsor and other Celebrate Recovery members in practicing faith I did not have, my life has been given meaning, direction and purpose.

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