The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. (Psalm 14:2 NIV)
Bad habits and negative attitudes have played a significant role in our lives in the past. When we felt vulnerable we anesthetized ourselves to what was going on inside us. We used our substance of choice to help cope with the emptiness, the nameless pain, the loneliness or some other distress which we were unwilling to deal with. Our daily agenda in addiction had centered on meeting our own needs. Now that we are aware that God has promised to meet all of our needs, are we willing to let Him do so?
God invites us, Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me. (Psalm 50:15 NASB)
No one likes feeling vulnerable but when we admitted that we were powerless over our dependencies and that our life had become empty and unmanageable, we sought a recovery program. We stopped using our substance of choice and began the struggle to deal with our vulnerable feelings which previously led us to our addictive lifestyle. In sobriety, how can we actually face the overwhelming feelings and pain of loneliness, frustration, disappointment, and even shame, without picking up again?
Life in recovery is about living in truth, and the truth is that on our own, our hearts are empty. That is why we so often struggle with fear when we feel vulnerable and powerless. God, and trusted people in recovery around us, assure us that there is a safe way forward for us. Step by step we can come to know and believe in a Power greater than ourselves who can restore us to sanity. We are encouraged to make a decision to turn our will and our life over to the care of this powerful God. When we do, we find our dead hearts begin to come alive in us.
I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2 NIV)
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