How are diamonds made? They go through three steps to be refined: First, they’re put under a pressure of 735,000 pounds per inch. Next, they’re put under the extreme heat of 2,200 Fahrenheit. Finally, they’re cut.
If you’re struggling with addiction, you must go through a similar process of being refined during recovery. It involves going through fire to get rid of unhealthy patterns and creating healthy patterns to purify you. Don’t expect God to take all your difficulties away—He won’t. But remember Jesus is God in human flesh and will help you endure the fiery furnace.
Here are some ways He helps you in recovery.
Jesus Loves You
Jesus showed love by revealing His intense interest in people—men, women, and children. His concern transcended all barriers and extended to all He met. He longed to see people whole, well, and growing in their faith. As you come to know Him and share His heart, you experience His passion for your wholeness and recovery.
Jesus Delivers You
Jesus paid special attention to the poor, the despised, the hurt, and the outcast. He ignored no one. No one is beyond the scope of His love or beyond His ability to help—including you. You may still be in bondage to your addiction. But when you set aside your pride and acknowledge your powerlessness, God is able to bring freedom into your life.
Jesus Heals You
While He was here on earth, who followed Jesus? Primarily those who needed healing. The Gospels record so many being healed of diseases, demons, and defects. While it may seem like your struggles are too hard for God, they’re not. Ask Him to heal you; be willing to do the work by going to a Life Recovery Group weekly.
Jesus Accepts You
Although Jesus was perfect, He doesn’t expect you to be. No matter what your past was like, He accepts you—flaws and all. He will work toward your complete recovery until the end of time. What’s your part? Turn to Him and believe in His power to help you.
Jesus Changes You
Jesus sees you in your self-made struggles and addictions. But He loves you enough to change you. Ezekiel 36:26 says, “I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” So He not only helps you change your behavior, He changes your heart.
Jesus Sacrificed Himself for You
In the greatest act of love in history, He became the perfect sacrifice for you. And the miracle of the resurrection confirmed that Jesus is the only one who can bring salvation, forgiveness, healthy relationships and recovery to anyone who comes to Him.
God is with you in the fiery furnace of recovery, even if you can’t see it right now. He is refining you so that He can give you a new heart, a new life, a new identity, and bring you to a new place:
“For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.” – Psalm 66:10-12