Today at work, our clients got into an interesting discussion during one of their process groups. Why do people relapse? Each had his or her own idea, but most came to the conclusion that i had to do with following through with their program. In my previous job, I was able to see people who held down 10 or more years of sobriety. The number 1 reason they relapse was because they became confident, saying things such as "I got this," quit going to their 12-step meetings, stopped communicating with their sponsors, stopped going to church or connecting with a higher power. In essence they stopped working their program.
Tonight, in continuing to study the names of God, I revisited this idea of working a program. If Christ is the "light of the world," and we are to walk in the light as He is in the light," then how can I attain this.
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:5 - 7
In this life, in present body and present world, I will never be able to be perfect. My flesh is sinful. It is through the blood of Christ I am made pure, but how can I make the choices, control thoughts and attitudes which are often times automatic so that I do not walk in darkness. How come I keep on sinning? My conclusion is that I do not work my program. We have an excellent text, not the Big Book of AA, rather the Bible. God commanded Joshua on how to live:
Be strong and very courageous. Obey all the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them, and you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed. I command you -- be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:7-9
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6
Jesus replied, "You must love the Lord our God with all your heart, all your sould, and all your mind. This is the first and greates commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." Matthew 22:37-40
I could keep writing things that come to mind- "set your mind on things above not on earthly things..." "be anxious about nothing but through prayer and petition present your requests to God."
The truth is, I don't do these things. I don't turn to God first. I often times stop having my daily communion with him, I stop reading scripture and meditating, I stop putting others before me. I stop my program. I believe it is possible to live like Christ because he gave us all authority that he was given, the problem is, I don't keep up the work. I believe Christ put it best when he stated:
"If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters -- yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And you cannot be my disciple if you do not carry your own cross and follow me. Luke 14:26-27
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