Individuals leaving addiction behind and entering into life with God in recovery often use the Twelve Steps of AA to help them sort through their issues. Step Four requires each individual to "make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves." This is one way to look at our lives and measure our thoughts and behaviour against the principles of what God says is good and helpful or wrong and harmful.
Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity. (1 John 2:15-17 MSG)
In addiction we participated in habits and lifestyles that were destructive because, we either didn’t know or want to obey, the principles for life on God’s terms. We feared pain, craved pleasure, desired power, and simply wanted to have our own way in whatever we chose to do. We tried whatever we thought would bring us satisfaction and joy. When we hit the wall at the end of that dead end road we decided to turn back and find another way of life which offers meaning and contentment.
The creator of life, through His Son Jesus Christ, has already provided a tried and true path to a meaningful and contented way of life. It's time to ask God what His plan is for us on the path to this life. We will truly lay the foundation for a meaningful and contented life by building on the principles that God has written in His word.
Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—then guide me on the road to eternal life. (Psalm 139:23-24 MSG) This fearless and moral inventory of ourselves requires honest asking, honest reflecting, honest amending of our ways to match the new principles that God has generously provided for us. What is in my life at this time that matters to God? What does life with God in recovery look like for me today?
Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion: eyes that are arrogant, a tongue that lies, hands that murder the innocent, a heart that hatches evil plots, feet that race down a wicked track, a mouth that lies under oath, a troublemaker in the family. (Proverbs 6:16-19 MSG)
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