Twelve Steps Of A.a. Step Five Exact Nature Of My Wrongs (1)
Thursday November 5, 2015
Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. (Proverbs 28:13 NIV)
All of us wrestle with our conscience in situations where we struggle. We may lie to ourselves and pretend that what we have done is not as bad in comparison to what others have done. We may also minimize how our conduct negatively impacted others. We may also try to work hard at being “good,” to offset the wrong we know we have done. In order to truly put the past to rest, we must stop rationalizing our past behaviour, acknowledge the error of our ways, realize the hurt we’ve caused, and turn away from our destructive way of life. God created us for a life in loving relationship with Him. All destructive and addictive behaviour is rooted in the breakdown of that relationship. Our rebellion against God is at the root of all our wrongs.
For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight—That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. (Psalm 51:3-4 NKJV)
The exact nature of our wrongs is that we think God is absent or surprised by our circumstances. In the past people have treated us badly and, quite naturally, we were frightened and wounded by their wrong doing towards us. In certain situations, we now seek to protect ourselves from further potential harm by becoming angry and resentful towards others. This forms a personality trait which keeps us at a ‘safe distance’ from the harm we fear others may cause us. Instead of turning to God for help, we try to fix the problem ourselves and end up in a worse condition than before. When we bring the issues before God, He hears our cries for help and rescues us from all our troubles.
Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. (Psalm 3:2-4 NIV)
Our unwillingness to live in trust and surrender to the only all-knowing God is the foundation of all our wrong doing. Only God, who is wise and mighty, knows what is good for us. He has a plan for each of our lives that will give us hope and a bright future.
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