God's trustworthy plan for us is to become whole in body, mind and spirit, regardless of how much pain and loneliness, anger and frustration, dissatisfaction and discouragement we have buried in our hearts. In His time, and with our consent, God will completely unravel the tangled mess within us and set us free. Are we willing to acknowledge as insanity the belief that a relapse into addictive behaviour will somehow better meet our needs than asking for help and following sound advice? Are we ready to admit that relapse is a prideful choice based on simply reacting to unrelenting pain from hurt? Are we willing to surrender all pride and seek to believe that a power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity?
And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (1 Peter 1:5-7 NLT)
The broken places in our hearts did not happen overnight and following God’s principles today will not fully restore our hearts overnight. Healing, even physical healing, is a process. Our arrogance tends to want God to wave His “magic wand” and give us instant healing right now. Be assured the Holy Spirit is at work. He is speaking to us. Are we willing to listen? He is offering healing for the hurt within us. Are we willing to receive it? Jesus will set us free. Are we willing to humbly surrender and persevere as He works in us, in His way, in His time?
When feelings of isolation, self-sufficiency, impatience and frustration with the slow process begin to surface – where’s the challenge for me in dealing with my pain in a healthy way? Today in recovery, how can I live humbly before God and others in this process of ongoing healing?
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