On the path of life recovery, do you often find yourself veering off course?
Staying in your lane and following the speed limit will help to protect you on the road. Similarly, when it comes to changing the course of your life, you need structure and guidance to stay on the path to recovery.
You may struggle with addiction such as chemical dependency, or you might simply be tired of having unhealthy relationships. No matter the issue you are facing, it may seem as if your life has spun out of control. If you want to stay on track and succeed in recovery, here are three laws of life recovery you must live by and practice in your daily life.
1. Powerlessness
The first law of life recovery is powerlessness. While it seems counterproductive, powerlessness, however, results in strength. What does powerlessness look like when you put it into practice? You allow God to provide you with his strength. Instead of doing things in your strength, ask God for strength. When you ask Him for help, God will respond to you when you finally realize you have no power.
Where are you when it comes to the law of powerlessness? Do you still feel as if you have some power left to try a little harder and do a little better and fix yourself? Hopefully, you have come to the end of yourself with just enough strength to hold on long enough for God to fill you with his power.
Admitting that you’re powerless is not a decision in the same way that surrendering would be. It’s simply a realization of your limitations as a human being. If you’re finally ready to admit your powerlessness, take a few minutes to memorize (and begin to apply) the truth of Philippians 4:13, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.“
2. Humility
The second law of life recovery is humility. In your journey of life recovery, it’s easy to take pride in the positive changes you’ve made in your life. You may even want other people to recognize your accomplishments. In God’s plan, though, it’s humility that will result in honor. We read in Proverbs 15:33, “Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor.“
When we are proud and arrogant, we don’t see the need to ask God for anything, and our motives are so twisted that He would not grant our requests anyway. We have to decide whether we will lay down our lives for God or keep company with the world. When we humble ourselves before the Lord, all our doing and building and serving to look good before others becomes meaningless.
Humility means you recognize God is the source of every good thing. It opens your eyes and heart to see and celebrate other people around you. And because you care about other people, you want to understand their pain. Not only does humility show that you care about others, but it also shows you care about yourself. As you move forward in recovery, it’s okay for you to have other people celebrate your success such as picking up a 30 Day chip at a life recovery meeting.
3. Connection
The third law of life recovery is connection. We all long to be loved, but we overlook the fact that the place to find love is always in an emotionally-connected relationship. God’s Word says, “let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love“(1 John 4:7-8).
Before recovery, you isolated yourself; yet, God designed you for healthy relational connections with him and with the people he places in our path. That is the only context in which we can experience true love. Working on building deeper and healthier connections with others will transform your life.
It might involve forgiving the unforgivable or giving up something, such as work, to spend more time in connecting. It might mean coming to grips with the truth that you are in a sick relationship that is cutting you off from anything good for you. The more we connect with God and with others in healthy relationships, the more love we will experience ourselves. The more love we experience, the deeper and more valuable our connections with God and with others will become.
These are three of the twelve laws of recovery. They can bring freedom where there has been bondage and direction where there has been confusion. Get your copy of The Twelve Laws of Recovery to learn all the ways they will enrich your life and relationships with God and others.