Well, I can't sleep, been up since 4 and it's because I am so happy and excited about my life. I have joy and peace and the Lord woo's me in the darkness before anyone wakes up to spend time with him before the chaos of my day ensues. This morning it was specifically on how I have gotten here. How I awake in the middle of the night now bursting with joy rather than pain. Oh my, it is glorious. The 12 steps have been key in my recovery, they have set the captive free, free from addiction, free from self, and free to love others for who they are and where they are.
In praying and listening this morning and contemplating my life and how I never had peace for 33 years, I am convicted that I want my children to know these steps from an early age. We are ALL in recovery from the fall, whether you like to admit your an addict or not, you are. We all medicate in trying to make it in this world and we all want to feel better and each have something we turn to, other than God.
Not sure what this looks like for my children, but they are gospel based and I want to have a recovery based home. To teach them the tools in coping in life. From Celebrate Recovery, here are 8 principles to live by, all with scripture backing them up. So that when they are faced with sin and living in a world that is not our home they will be equipped with special tools that rarely are taught so simply. See comments for the 8 principles based on the Beatitudes, it wouldn't paste into the blog....
The 8 Principles
ReplyDeletePrinciple 1- 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. (Step 1) “Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor.” (Matthew 5:3)
Principle 2- Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me recover. (Step 2) “Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)
Principle 3- Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control. (Step 3) “Happy are the meek.” (Matthew 5:5)
Principle 4- Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust. (Steps 4 and 5) “Happy are the pure in heart.” (Matthew 5:8)
Principle 5- Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects. (Steps 6 and 7) “Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires.” (Matthew 5:6)
Principle 6- Evaluate all my relationships; offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others except when to do so would harm them or others. (Steps 8 and 9) “Happy are the merciful." "Happy are the peacemakers.” (Matt 5:7, 5:9)
Principle 7- Reserve a daily 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. (Steps 10 and 11)
Principle 8- Yield myself to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and by my words. (Step 12) “Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires.” (Matthew 5:10)