Twelve Steps To Recovery Parts 11-12
Scripture: Psalm 27:1, 4-6; Psalm 65:1-4; Psalm 105: 1,8; Isaiah 61:1-2
Introduction
To date in this series we have discussed the first seven steps in the twelve steps to recovery process. We began by admitting that we were powerless over our dependencies and that there was a God greater than ourselves who could restore us to sanity. After reaching that point, in step three we made the decision to turn our lives over to the care of God, a conscious choice that was made freely. In steps four and five we took a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves and came to the point of understanding our addictions and confessing them to ourselves, God and to another trusted individual. In step six, after recognizing our addictions for what they were, we came to the point where we were ready to have God remove them and in step seven we humbly asked God to do just that – remove all of our shortcomings. Step seven was the bridge from our focus on our inner self to our outward actions as we enter into step eight. Step eight involved our making a list of those persons that we have harmed through our addictions and work through our willingness to make amends to them when possible. In step nine we were to take action on the list we made in step eight, making direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. In step ten we reached the point of maintenance, meaning that we are at a point where we continue to monitor ourselves and take personal inventories and when we are wrong promptly admit it.
In steps eleven and twelve we reach the conclusion of the twelve step process. In this message we will cover both of these steps. In step eleven we seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God; praying for the knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry it out. In step twelve, having experienced a spiritual awakening as the result of the other steps, we now carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all of our affairs.
I. Seeking God
Step eleven states that “We seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.” If you have made it this far in the process and you have been sincere as you went through each step, by now you are probably experiencing a closer relationship with God than you had before you started the steps. Experiencing this growth in our closeness with God will continue if we continue to seek Him. If we really want to complete and then maintain the change that we are witnessing, we must seek God and discover what His will is for us as we move forward in the newness of Life. Remember, when you give up an addiction, there will be a void. Only God can fill that void and give you a new sense of purpose. Consider what David said in Psalm 27:1, 4-6: “The Lord is my light and my salvation, so why should I be afraid?....The one thing I ask of the Lord, the thing I seek most, is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in His temple. For He will conceal me there when trouble come; He will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At His sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music.”
It is natural to turn to God when trouble arises and we call out to Him for the help only He can give. But as our relationship with Him grows, we will begin to turn to God out of a desire to be near Him. As we discover how wonderful He is and how much He loves us, we draw near to Him because of the joy we experience in His presence. This is what David was referring to in these verses. David found great joy by improving his conscious contact with God. God is always there, but we are not always aware of His presence. Our relationship with God usually begins with His meeting our desperate needs, but when we begin to focus on getting to know God as an end in itself, we will discover that He will give us what we have always desired, the joy of being close to our loving creator. When we enter into God’s presence, there is joy. David said in Psalm 65:4 “What joy for those You choose to bring near, those who live in Your holy courts. What festivities await us inside Your holy temple.”
Most of us need to desire something before we will wholeheartedly seek after it. Until we realize how much God loves us and care about the details of our lives, we probably will not have the desire to pray to Him. Until we sincerely believe that He has completely forgiven us, we will be ashamed to face Him. The life of King David should give us hope. After he had come face to face with his own sinfulness, he was able to sing “What mighty praise, O God, belongs to You in Zion. We will fulfill our vows to You……” (Psalm 65:1) God wants us to be like those who lived and served in the Temple, walking freely into His presence. He wants us to know that we are welcome and valued before Him. God is always present with us and can be a source of joy and happiness for us now. Turn to Psalm 105.
As we work through the Twelve Steps, we spend a lot of time looking back. We often think about the wrong things we have done in the past. As we proceed in the recovery process, we will need strength to move along the path God wants us to follow. Part of this strength will come as we visualize God’s constant presence with us. David proclaimed in Psalm 105 “Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done. Sing to Him, yes, sing His praises……He always stand by His covenant, the commitment He made to a thousand generations.” (Psalm 105: 1,8)
From now on when we look back, we should concentrate on seeing the “wonders He has performed” and remember “His miracles and the rulings He has given.” We can look around to fine His goodness “throughout the land” and look forward to the fulfillment of His promises. In prayer, we should thank God for what He has done, seek Him for the strength we need today, and ask Him to fulfill His promises for tomorrow. In meditation, we need to remember our victories, ponder God’s presence with us today, and consider His faithfulness and the hope He gives us for tomorrow. As we read through Psalm 105, David makes another statement that takes us into step Twelve. He said in Psalm 105:2 that we should “….Tell everyone about His wonderful deeds.” This is what Step Twelve is all about.
II. Share The News
Step Twelve says “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all of our affairs.” When we have been set free of our addictions, we want to share what God has done in our lives with others and we want them to experience that same release within their lives. A life set free of addictions by the Lord is a beautiful sight to behold. When we practice these principles and share our experiences, people will see the glory of God in our life and gain hope. We know from experience the depths of suffering, affliction and brokenness. We know the pain of being enslaved to our passions and blinded by our denial. We have endured our seasons of grieving. We can relate to those who struggle to be free. We also know that there is more to life than bondage. In Christ there is healing, freedom, mercy, beauty and joy. When Jesus came to the earth, He had a mission. When He was asked one day to read in the temple, He read from Isaiah 61 which said “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon Me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent Me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.” (Isaiah 61:1-2) Jesus had a mission and likewise so should we. Jesus’ mission has been passed on to us. Some people talk about “preaching the gospel” but may alienate those who need the Good News the most. We are in a unique position to share our experiences, our strengths and our hope in a way that broken people can understand and receive.
Each one of us has a valuable story to tell. We may be shy and feel awkward about speaking, but our stories need to be heard. We may feel that our stories are too trivial to share, but someone still needs to hear it for your story could be theirs. We may also be struggling to get beyond the shame of our past experiences not realizing that our recovery story can help others who are trapped back where we were. Are we willing to allow God to use us to help free others? In Mark 16:15 Jesus told us to “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” This is our mission and sharing our deliverance is a great way to fulfill this mission.
Since we have worked through the Twelve Steps, we are in a special position to carry the message to others. We can recognize the warning signs of addictive/compulsive tendencies in those around us, as well as in ourselves. When touching on such deep and sensitive issues, it is important to speak in the language of love, not condemnation. Jesus said in John 15:12-13 “This is My commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friend.” We are not the Savior, but we can love others as Christ has loved us. Love goes beyond mere words. Sometimes it is spoken in silence when we don’t condemn someone who comes to us looking for help. Love doesn’t just tell them what the problems are, it helps carry the weight of their burdens. We can be a part of a support network to help carry our friends until they are able to take steps toward recovery on their own initiative.
Consider the directions that Paul gave to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4. In verses 14-16 he writes “Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the Church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.” Paul taught Timothy that to get the message across to his congregation he was not only to teach others, but he also had to be an example by putting his beliefs into practice. When we practice the principles of the Twelve Steps, others will be watching and notice the changes. This will open the doors for us to share our story. Every addict is a precious lost soul whom God loves and wants to rescue and their rescue starts with us.
Conclusion
It has taken a while to get through this series and I appreciate your patience. I hope that what you have heard (or read) in this series will have a life changing affect on you. I want to leave you with this as you consider how you want to fully incorporate these principles into your lives. Each of us probably started a recovery process because were fed up; we had had enough with our lives. We had enough of the pain, destruction and lies that resulted from our addictive behavior. One day at a time we have learned the principles to the road to recovery. Having experienced the release, it is time that we encourage others; help them to get to where we are. We are not perfect yet, but we are better than we used to be. Our message will not be accepted by everyone and that is okay, but there are those are ready to hear how we made it through. They are ready to hear what God has done for you. Are you ready to tell them? I had someone tell me recently that I had saved their life. It was not me, it was however, God working through me because I chose to share my weakness and God’s goodness. Are you ready to expose your weakness and how God brought you through in order to help someone else? This is our mission. May God forever bless and keep you is my earnest prayer.
