Twelve Steps Of Aa Step 4: Searching And Fearless Moral Inventory (1)
Tuesday November 22, 2016
What is the challenge for us as we reflect on making a searching, fearless, and moral inventory based on God’s way of life as revealed to us in the Bible?
Let’s take a good look at the way we’re living and reorder our lives under God. If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. (Lamentations 3:40; 1 John 1:8-9 MSG)
Our life in addiction was moulded by a controlling relationship with a destructive substance, a habit, a person, or a combination of these. Our behaviour was rooted in self-absorption that was fuelled either by a desire to seek pleasure or avoid pain. At some point we began to believe that we were entitled to whatever would give us pleasure and keep pain at a distance. We became focused on ourselves and our needs to the exclusion of every other relationship. In our chosen addiction, we sought to cover the pain of our broken relationships, with God, with our family, and with others. We did not know how to love others in a healthy way and we believed, because of our feelings of self-rejection, that we were unlovable.
‘…no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love. Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end. (1 Corinthians 13:4-5 MSG)
Heavenly Father, I admit that I don’t know how to live well in relationship, either with You or with others. Today I am willing to learn. I want to live in a way that receives love and gives love. I invite you to take this broken person and change me into the person you created me to be.
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