Finding a good treatment center is really about deciding what your criteria will be and then developing a screening process designed to weed out the places that don’t fit your criteria. Here are some of our recommendations.
Before you begin your search, pray. Invite the Holy Spirit into the process. Let Him guide you as you navigate your way through the many options available. Some of the searches we recommend are, Christian Rehabs, Christian Drug and Alcohol Treatment, Christ-centered Rehabs, and Christian Addiction Treatment Programs. Think of the words you use in your search as your initial screening. Now it’s time to start making some phone calls.
We believe programs that assess and address emotional, spiritual, physical, and psychological (when needed) needs are the most effective. Leaving out any one of those components leaves the door open for relapse. Developing a screening process that addresses all of these components will thin out the options.
Assessing a program in how they deal with the physical is really about determining the methods used to detoxify the body. Will a doctor be doing an assessment? Will there be medication involved? Think of detox as a period of time when the addict is in a controlled environment, has been assessed by a doctor, and is put on a protocol of medications (when necessary) to help them through the physical withdrawal symptoms associated with pain medications, heroin, alcohol, and other substances. (For more information please see our article When is Detox Necessary?) We believe that medications should end with detox. “Will my son/daughter be leaving detox on medication?” By asking these questions you will come to see that all detox facilities are not created equal. What you want to know is, what condition is your loved going to be in when their detox is complete.
Emotional healing is something that takes place in the counseling room. We believe the most effective process is one where all principles are filtered through the Word of God. You might ask something like this, “What is the goal of your counseling process?”
Where groups and classes are concerned you can ask for a program schedule and determine if those classes are Biblically-based or whether they are secular in nature.
Although a Christian treatment program is considered faith-based, not all faith-based programs are Christian. In the current climate we find ourselves living in, the term ‘faith-based’ can mean many different things. The idea is to discern whether the faith-based program you have called shares your beliefs. You can ask, “How much of program is Biblically-based?”
The counselor is also a significant part of the process and there are major differences between counselors and the counseling modalities they utilize in the counseling room. It is either man’s theories that are practiced or a Biblical principles and they are literally worlds apart. There is either a secular worldly counselor utilizing worldly modalities, a counselor that is a Christian but utilizes worldly modalities, or a Christian counselor utilizing a Biblical world view (Biblical principles).
We encourage you to research and learn! Please call us if we can assist you with a Christian drug rehab at 866.543.3361 or visit www.newlifespiritrecovery.com
New Life Spirit Recovery is Christ-centered Christian program that deals with the whole person utilizing Biblical principles. All of our teachers and counselors are spirit filled Christians, clinically trained state certified professionals the counsel with Biblical principles.
Congratulations! You’ve either completed, or are about to complete, one of the most courageous journeys you have ever taken – your rehab program. Whether your rehab was 30, 60, 90 days, or longer, you have persevered and your hard work in dealing with the root issues of your addiction has given you healing, freedom, peace and a great sense of accomplishment. But now what?
You might be feeling some trepidation over the reality of now having to live out your recovery in the “real” world. A place where it won’t be so safe and temptations are poised and ready to pounce at any given moment when you least expect it. In addition, you know that the place you came from is full of “triggers” that helped fuel your addiction, such as a dysfunctional spouse, family member or old friends. In your heart you know that if you go back, there is a possibility that you will go right back into your addiction.
Hopefully, as you honestly recognize these potential pitfalls to your recovery, you will want to set yourself up to succeed and protect the freedom you have from your addiction. Because you realize that you are still very fragile and vulnerable in your recovery, it may be wise for you to not go back into that unhealthy environment and instead, transition into a sober living house.
What Is A Sober Living House?
Sober living houses provide you with the opportunity to remove yourself from familiar and toxic communities and dysfunctional influential people. It may feel very uncomfortable to do this, but there’s a saying in recovery; “If you are serious about your recovery, you only have to change one thing…EVERYTHING!” Changing your surroundings and friends significantly increase your chances of continued freedom from addiction.
Sober living houses also provide a healthy transition from a highly structured treatment program to a less-restrictive environment so that you can more successfully transition towards independence. Most sober living houses will require you to be proactive in working on your recovery program, attend 12-Step or Celebrate Recovery meetings, follow house rules and attend regular house meetings. You will most likely be expected to find work, look for your own housing, and work on mending relationships that were hurt by your addiction. Sober living houses have a zero tolerance for drugs or alcohol and will evict anyone caught violating this rule. This is done to protect you and the other houseguests.
It is important to choose a sober living home that offers the necessary structure and support for you during this crucial next stage of your recovery.
Choosing A Good Sober Living House
Not all sober living houses are created equal. Sober living houses are abundant across the nation and you’ll want to make sure the sober living house you choose offers qualities and features that will ultimately be supportive to your recovery success. So how do you go about looking for a sober living house and what do you look for?
#1. Visit In Person
Procrastination is our worst enemy when it comes to transitioning from a rehab program into a sober living. As a result, many rehab clients wait until the last minute to locate a sober living house. In desperation, they start making phone calls and end up going to the first sober living house that has an open bed. This is a recipe for disaster! Avoid this “desperation shopping” and start looking for a sober living house at least 2 weeks before leaving rehab.
See if your rehab will give you a pass to go out with a family member or with a trusted individual to visit in person the sober livings you are interested in.
Interview and observe every sober living house on your list.
The following will help you know what to look for, what to inquire about and what to avoid.
#2 Location and Safety
Another important factor in choosing a sober living house is its location and safety. It would be great if the sober living house that you are looking at is located near your meetings, work, church and healthcare providers. You may not have a vehicle to drive to these important meetings, events and services, so you will want to be able to get to them easily by foot, bicycle or public transportation. You will also want to explore whether or not the sober living house is going to be a jeopardy to your physical safety and your sobriety. Is it located in a safe neighborhood? Does the sober living house have a strong staff? Does the sober living staff truly care about the well-being and success of its residents? Who owns the sober living house? How often are staff and residents tested?
#3. Licensed Or Not
Many of sober living houses are not managed well and do not monitor the tenants as promised. There can be problems such as house managers who are rarely present, violence in the homes, or house managers who turn a blind eye toward a tenant who is obviously using drugs or alcohol in order to not upset the cash flow. In California, sober living houses are not licensed or required to report to any agency or local government. However, in California, there are Sober Living House Associations that oversee health, safety, and operations of the houses. These include the Sober Living Network (SLN) and California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP). Due diligence is strongly encouraged when considering a sober living house.
#4 Rules and Accountability
It’s important to find a sober living home that implements more than just a daily routine…it should also implement rules and regulations, such as curfews and a zero-tolerance drug-free environment.
You want to find a house that supervises you and holds you accountable.
Ask around and find out which sober living houses have a good reputation and which ones aren’t so good.
Why would you want to move into a sober living house that won’t prepare you for the structure of life and keep you accountable in your young sobriety?
#5 Atmosphere
The mood and spirit that you sense from a sober living house is extremely important. Pay attention to your intuitive feelings. Do you get a good vibe from the people currently living there? Is there a sense of camaraderie? Does it appear to be a positive environment or does it project negativity? You will be living here for a while, so be sure that you feel good about the “spirit” of the sober living house you are considering.
#6 Strong Staff
A strong staff will make or break a good sober living house. When evaluating a sober living house, it’s important to find one that has a staff that truly cares about you and your success…but you also want a staff that’s not afraid to enforce the rules and call you on your “stuff”. A firm support system can be seen in policies that enforce regular drug testing or encouraging residents to attend 12-Step or Celebrate Recovery meetings – both of which can make or break your early recovery.
# 7. Cost
You need to find a sober living home that you can afford based upon your income. There are sober living houses that have different financial requirements. Some houses offer scholarship programs for the newly sober resident who is looking for a job. It is vital that you find a house that is going to work with your situation. At most sober living houses, you will be responsible for rent, utilities, groceries and other necessities. Find out what your payments cover. By knowing what you can afford, you can narrow your choices and eliminate the options that are out of your price range.
#8. Things To Avoid
There are some things that you should avoid in your search for a sober living house. You want to avoid those sober living houses that don’t have 24-hour supervision. Sober living houses that have a low staff to client ratios also need to be avoided. You should also avoid sober living houses where the staff is not trained or equipped to deal with those in recovery. If a facility does not perform drug testing or offers little or no educational programs, life skills training or support groups – stay away. Additionally, if the facility does not provide referrals to medical or mental health professionals, you would be wise to look elsewhere.
Locating a good sober living can be a daunting task, but if you start early and invest the time and energy into this next level of your recovery, it will reward you for a lifetime.
Did you know that according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) that in 2010 “23.1 million people needed treatment for a drug or alcohol problem, and only 2.6 million, or 11.2 percent, received it.”. Another statistic states that 1 in 11 Americans 12 or older are addicted. Addiction is an enormous, enormous problem in our culture and society. Its consequences are greater than we can comprehend. Whatever preconceived notions there have been about the face of a drug addict, we know that today addiction is everywhere and can affect people with all backgrounds. And that means, yes, even people and leaders in the church can be addicted. Families are suffering, companies are affected, the healthcare system is bogged down, jails and prisons are overcrowded and people don’t know what to do with the epidemic. With so much more technology, advanced “scientific” research and more access to help then ever before, why is addiction getting worse, not better?
Treating Addiction with Truth
Defining the root drive of addiction is perhaps the greatest source of division on this topic. The medical community claims the physical brain and other genetic dispositions are the culprit behind addiction. Medical science seems unable to treat addiction except with oftentimes more medication, and thus the transferring of one substance to another. There is no question that the brain gets altered by substance abuse, but the medical community claims the brain is the cause, not just the effect of substance abuse. Ironically, most medical doctors know that the most effective way to treat addiction is through a spiritual remedy of the 12 step process.
Christians also range in their understanding of addiction. Some Christians and churches simply label it as willful sin, thus consider the person struggling with addiction as merely rebellious. They may even look at the addictive nature of a person and resolve that their behavior is explained because “they are not really a Christian in the first place”. Other churches may try to help an addict, but don’t have the understanding of the power of addiction, and the tools that are required to create an atmosphere where addicts can seek help.
Whatever our own perception of addiction is, somewhere lies the actual truth of its roots and cause. How we find ourselves defining addiction will lie in direct correlation to the solution we seek to apply to it. If we see people as merely the effect of a medical disorder, we’ll find security in sending a person through the scientific approach, relying on medication and other approaches. If we believe addiction is just a “sin” issue, we’ll judge and form conclusions about the addict’s spiritual status, and thus be prone to the “throw them out.”
Seeking Truth
As Christians, we’ve been granted the gift of a lifetime – the access to truth. This truth is not just stated in God’s Word, but can be used to interpret the world around us through the mind of Christ. Truth isn’t just a Bible passage, but the ability to take God’s wisdom and apply it to our daily lives, including the reality of addiction.
What Do We Believe?
Our perspective of what constitutes the source of truth will determine the outcome of our lives. If we seek medical digests and human knowledge as truth, that’s where we go to access solutions. And what we will receive is whatever resources the medical community has available, namely medication and mental health specialists who use human theories to treat addiction. If we use the Bible as our source of truth, we will be able to access its resources. We will have the opportunity to see God’s viewpoint of life, relationships, dependencies and sin, and given the power and resources that God’s promises offer.
But learning God’s Word and accessing and applying it to our lives is where the battle will be waged. That’s because oftentimes we are told things in the Bible that contradict what we see with our eyes, and what our modern-day society has deemed as “truth.” In fact, the Bible tells us that we are engaged in a battle for our minds – the very essence of our belief systems. This battle is not happening through flesh and blood people (although it manifests through people and systems), but we are engaged with “forces of darkness.” Now let’s be honest. That is an uncomfortable truth! It’s a truth that we would rather brush under the rug and choose to ignore. Yet, if God’s Word is the source of truth, we cannot deny it’s statement.
How We Receive Truth
Many times truth is distorted because it’s used as a rule book and a measuring stick, rather than a revelation of heart and purposes of God. Thus “truth” that claims to know the Bible and have the answers, but lacks a deep encounter of Jesus Christ, isn’t truth at all. That’s because when Jesus walked this earth, He became “truth” in flesh and blood. Let’s read:
In the beginning the Word already existed.The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. – John 1: 1-5 (NLT)
A relationship with Jesus Christ lead us to the source of truth, because it gives us access to Him. When we are spiritual blind and caught in the perils of denial, we in essence are walking in darkness. But when Jesus enters into our life, He gives light, and the ability to see. With addiction, as with all areas of our lives, the person suffering will first need “see truth” before they will have access to God’s solution.
Truth and the Holy Spirit
Sadly, the work of the Holy Spirit gets desperately misunderstood and neglected in the life of many believers. For the addict, it is imperative and absolutely necessary to learn to walk and live in the Spirit. That’s because the Holy Spirit performs functions that oppose our human default patterns. The addict isn’t just doing “bad stuff” on purpose. There is an entire infected system in their life that needs to be re-wired. The mind of the addict is broken and filled with faulty information. Their thoughts have been bound by lies that contradict God’s plans and purposes for their life. Through faulty belief systems, they have formed habitual patterns that led to strongholds. Strongholds are lies that become a truth. They are an automatic response over a period of time, rather than a choice.
Because of this very important component, that’s why a central focus in the treatment or the recovery process must be in the arena of truth. Truth finding is not about a human counselor standing with a bunch of “therapeutic” knowledge and claiming to have the insight to a person’s problem. Rather, truth finding is a process that occurs ONLY when a person is able to engage with the Holy Spirit. To set things straight – the Holy Spirit is a Person and part of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit actually houses the very mind of Christ. This is God Almighty coming inside us and giving us the ability to think, feel and behave under His influence, not our own flesh, in a given situation.
Because the addict has been programmed to think, feel and act based on wrong data, it will take the work of the Holy Spirit to reprogram that data. This will occur gradually as each lie and stronghold is brought to the light and replaced with the truth of God in that situation.
Does it seem radical that only the power of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit can cure an addict? If so, stop and assess your own ideas of addiction.
Do you recognize that addiction is terrible and can lead to death physically, emotionally and spiritually? Have you resolved that you or the person you love must get help, and that it will require God’s intervention?
Do you recognize that all spiritual ailments come in the forms of lies that take our minds captives and cause us to think, feel and behave in a negative way. Thus, addiction recovery must occur by the renewing of the mind, not merely adjusting outward behaviors or treating addiction as a medical condition?
Do you believe in the power of the Holy Spirit? What role does He play in your life? Has He revealed His truth? Do you limit Him to the Word of the Bible alone, or do you let Him press deeply into your heart and reveal how God’s Word must be activated and made alive in your heart?
Where do you bank the hope for the addict in your life? And what pathway must you take to follow that?
Whatever you respond, the questions can be pondered, but they can also be brought directly to the throne of grace. No person can dictate truth to you. It must be worked out with God. No matter your situation, make today the day you claim to receive truth – allow God to penetrate your heart and trust in Him to initiate the processes necessary to bring you or someone you love our of bondage and into freedom.
Lord God, I need truth to understand addiction in myself or someone I love. I have tried to figure it out on my own, and it is beyond my grasp. Shine a light before me and show me where to go. Lead me to the answers I need in my own situation. Don’t let me be tricked or deceived. When I am afraid, I ask that reveal with kindness and gentleness the pathways of Your will, and offer me Your hope and the fulfillment of Your promises. In Jesus Name – Amen
Do you need a treatment program that is committed to the spiritual remedy of the Holy Spirit and renewing of the mind? Call us today! If we can’t help you, we will definitely do everything we can to find someone who can!
Did you ever find it frustrating that despite your best efforts, change is difficult, and sometimes seemingly impossible to obtain? New Year’s resolutions quickly fall short as our true desires and ideals quickly become another pile of unmet self-expectations. So why do we fail? Is it self-discipline that we lack? If we struggle with addiction, should we have the will power to just stop?
For those of us who have walked the roadway of Christ-centered recovery, we fully recognize that had we been left to our own devices, we would be in a hopeless condition. We understand that apart from God we can do nothing. Yet with His resources and our connection to Him, we’ve been equipped with everything necessary to live this life and be victorious. So what’s stopping us if we aren’t there? And how can we truly unlock the mystery of living out the life we desire? Let’s take a closer look!
Where Change Begins
We often think change begins simply because we have a desire for it, and then we can work hard to attain it. But in truth, we can possess the desire for change in relationships, health, image, career, ministry and other areas without any results, leaving us feeling frustrated and seemingly hopeless. Although our desire to change is certainly necessary, striving, trying, and pushing ourselves is not the solution. God declares in His Word that “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (1 Corinthians 12:9). Change is not a result of our human effort; it’s a result of the power of God coming into our lives through the Holy Spirit. This power isn’t activated by us “trying”, but by us acknowledging that we can’t. The first step in the 12 step program basically states “I can’t manage my own life.” At step three, we move to the place of giving God control. It is clear that all other freedom rests through this transaction. This means that God can only be activated when we:
1. First admit that we are incapable of changing
2. We submit to God to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
God’s Job in Changing Us
Imagine for a moment if you had a major crisis with your home, such as a natural disaster, that caused devastating damage to your home. As you sifted through the broken rubble, you recognized that the environment needed to be changed. Your home was no longer able to be inhabited in its current condition. So in the day and weeks to come, a contractor was hired to plan all necessary repairs. Since this was no ordinary damage, you recognized you were totally unable to fix the home without outside intervention and equipment. But despite that reality, now, imagine that you were so deeply overcome by fear that the contractor would bring further damage, you opted to take a seat right next him, and control and mandate how he should do his job. You insisted that he do things in your timing and way. You directed him to work in ways that were unsafe and far from the process that he was equipped to perform. Thus, in the midst of large plans to reconstruct, your “intervention” posed a safety hazard and impeded the work from continuing. So as the contractor stepped aside, you took the tools and tried to fix things yourself. It might be no surprise that it didn’t work. Disaster after disaster occurred. The walls and roof crumbled around you, and you had absolutely no skill or ability to overcome and repair. The house could not be fixed, and you were overwhelmed by your position of responsibility to try to do the impossible.
While that may sound extreme, in many ways we bring God into our situations in a like manner. For a season we may “hire Him” to do the job. We are desperate in the moment and plead for His assistance. Yet once He enters into our lives and exposes the things that are broken and in need of “fixing”, we get nervous. We doubt Him and His capabilities. We fear the loss of control over our future. We fear that things will be changed in ways we won’t like. So rather than trust in the engineering and capability of a God who is PERFECTLY able to be make our lives whole, we snatch the role from Him, and put ourselves in charge. And from there, we begin to find that apart from Him, it is impossible!
Creating the Environment for Change
As we recognize that we can’t change ourselves or stop addictive behavior, it’s important to understand that God operates by certain conditions and terms. For example, just as a general contractor must secure an environment that is safe for his workers to implement the construction plans, so our Lord must be given permission to survey, evaluate and implement His own process. This means we will need to enter into a “contract” with Him on His terms, asking Him to change us, with the commitment to be surrendered to Him and His established purposes in the situation. We must let Him bring His blueprints to fruition without trying to intervene.
It’s helpful to understand the general methods of God’s operation, and to understand where we might struggle in the pursuit of allowing God to change us. Let’s look:
God brings the light of truth. When He first enters into our situation, God will reveal the truth of what is occurring. This requires a willingness to confront our lives and circumstances on the basis of what they are, not how we wished or pretended they would be. Sometimes we can be so focused on the wrongs of someone else, that we have been blinded to our unhealthy behaviors. If we are consumed by denial, He will confront us and expose what has been hidden. Denial is a tricky reality because we usually deny to cope with pain. God knows what has occurred and what has prevented us from seeing things as He sees things. This can be very disruptive at first. It would be like having that disaster strike in the evening hours where everything is covered and naked to the eye. Then, as the sun begins to rise, the level of rubbish can be revealed.
God’s revelation is not to harm us. In fact, He can get to work the moment light is shining and we are willing to participate. If we remain in denial (darkness), God can’t work. That’s because He is light. And where He exists, darkness will leave, and truth will be exposed. Therefore, the moment we try to cover, hide or bury what He reveals, He is prevented.
God operates by love. If we ever see God as angry or after some agenda to hurt us, we’ll never have the confidence to fully give our lives to Him. God is tender-hearted and kind. He is compassionate and filled with mercy and grace. He sees the wreckage in and around us and knows that He alone has the remedy to fix what’s broken. However, just because He is that way towards us doesn’t mean that we will perceive Him in that manner. If we harbor a faulty idea of God because of our earthly experience, we will not engage with God properly. Instead of the Contractor of our Soul that can restore us, we’ll be prone to try to get Him to work within our own “blue print” of how we think He should “love” us. Furthermore, if we have a fear-based understanding of God, we by default will protect ourselves from Him rather than invite Him inside.
God operates by holiness.While God is loving, He has a radical agenda in our lives that will not negotiate, approve, or be even remotely tolerant of the sin that hurts us so deeply. Yet He is not oriented towards changing the outwards and giving us a set of lists that we are expected to live up to. Many of us mistook holiness as law-based expectations. In truth, God’s holy nature means He desires to remove the darkness, brokenness and sin issues that plague us, knowing full well the damage they cause. God’s holiness also means He wants us to be restored back to the original design and purpose He has for us. And the only thing that prevents us from that are the areas where sin, shame and brokenness still exist. God acts as a Surgeon to eradicate the cancer in us to preserve our life. He uses the power of forgiveness and grace to remove those things that hold us back. Sometimes this process can be painful. We must not grow weary in the process or misunderstand His purposes. God’s relentless pursuit of our holiness was the entire purpose of Jesus Christ. Through Him we can be cleansed, purified and made holy.
God uses grace to change us. Just as holiness is God’s agenda, we can rest assured that the responsibility of its attainment does not rest in our own resources. Instead, God gave us grace. Grace refers to God’s unmerited favor, but it can also be thought of as everything we need to live life. This includes all the resources and healing abilities of God. Grace first seeks to remove our sin and residue of shame from our hearts. Then, it seeks to teach us to deal with the shame that others impose upon us. Grace is a like a cleansing agent that purifies and restores everything it touches, and re-aligns everything is broken. If we could access it in its entirety, it would set everything back on course.And so now we come back to our initial point. Grace is activated in our weakness. In other words, when we have a pile of rubbish around us, and we are screaming “I can’t Lord, help me” – grace has the environment to work. But at the same when we come geared up with our own tools and agenda, grace is prohibited.
God operates through faith and praise, not fear and worry.No matter how desperately we need to be changed, if we approach God with the general belief that He can’t help us and that our problems are too big for Him, He won’t even be able to enter into that situation. It may take everything in us to simply say, “Lord, I struggle, help me believe! I believe that you can! I believe that you are able!” Sometimes our inner conversation sounds more like “I know you can’t. I don’t even think you want to help me.” This deeply grieves the Spirit of God. Even though He loves us and wants to free us, we are speaking things that oppose His truth. Thus, God will stay away until He is invited in on the basis of who He actually is.
Do you have power in your life to change? First of all, have you met Jesus Christ? That is the beginning of all true change. If you’ve invited Him into your heart, has He been given access to do the work of transformation? Ask Him to bring you deeper into understanding how you need to be healed, where you are broken and the plan He has to redeem you. God is faithful!
Do you want to participate in a healing workshop? The Christian Codependence Workshops are sponsored by Spirit of Life Recovery and taught by Stephanie Tucker, author of The Christian Codependence Recovery Workshop: From Surviving to Significance. It’s a step by step process of allowing God to engage and restore the things that are broken by relying Him and believing in the power of grace! Click here to learn more. This is applicable for every single Christian despite the struggle.
Do you want to help others find deliverance? Get trained on how to use this process to lead groups or assist people in the counseling room. Click here to learn more.
What does it mean to be free on the inside? For some of us, it might seem a strange question. For others, we might understand where we found that freedom. Freedom on the inside occurs when as humans we realize that we fall short and need the resources from God to make our life work. It isn’t just a matter of professing our faith in Jesus Christ, it entails an entire systemic change where we surrender and give God access to every aspect of our life. It means that we are not bound to anything or anyone that would control or prevent us from being all that God intended us to be. When we are free, we are in alignment with our Creator – all thing fall under His authority in our life. When we are not free, however, another force dominates us. We become entangled in things that take us away from God’s true purpose and plan for us.
The Rule of Freedom versus Domination
To put in perspective, think of freedom in terms of nations. The United States of America is founded above all on freedom. It protects and gives right to individuals, allowing them to make choices within the confines of the laws. This allows people to pursue their interests, to worship in their own churches, to choose their own career and to express their individuality in a variety of ways. These choices may or may not align with God’s truth, but the purpose of freedom is in choice.
On the other hand, nations under dictatorship rule impose standards on their citizens. People living under the authority of that power axle may be told how to dress, who to worship, what to speak, what to read or what property to own. In this environment, individual freedoms are lost, and thus the people are not able to live and express their own choices. That means the people of that nation are enslaved.
The very notion of freedom isn’t political; it’s a system God put in place when He created mankind. God gave Adam and Eve the gift of freedom – this means He didn’t create them to be mere robots that were forced to do His will. With that freedom came choice and responsibility. Why would God do such a thing when He could have prevented them from sinning in the first place? If God took personal freedom away, He would have been a mere dictator, forcing people and controlling people through domination, not because of the freedom in their hearts. Being in that position would violate the heart of God – which above all else chooses to respect the human race and enter into relationship with His children on the basis of love.
In our own lives, the struggle to keep our hearts in the position of freedom is always at play. For those of us in recovery, we may have encountered a power that overtook us, such as drugs and alcohol, which removed our ability to make choices. Under its influence, we became bound to compulsively need more, thus we became completely enslaved.
But the loss of freedom comes in many others way, some much more subtle and difficult to recognize. This means we don’t just need to be under the influence of a drug or other form of addiction to be in bondage.
Ways We Aren’t Free
We can be bound in our hearts in a variety of ways. Sometimes, people with addictions get the help they need because their addictions are obvious. But we can be suffering from a loss of freedom inside of our hearts and not even be aware. Here are some examples:
We have a religious mind-set rather than a grace-based mindset – Whenever we begin to live the Christian life based on an external check-list of what we do or don’t do, we are in some form of bondage. Some of the most important freedom we find as Christians is freedom from sin’s condemnation. We realize that God’s gift of freedom and forgiveness is something we can’t purchase. That means there isn’t something we can do or not do to take it away.
For those of us that may not have come into contact yet with the depths of the love of God, we may be accustomed to “working for God” or trying to “win over” His approval or the approval of others. This form of “buying” love or approval stands in direct opposition to the free nature of God’s gifts, gifts He offers us through His grace. Anyone who has this mentality in their life needs a richer, more personal understanding of this grace.
We hold someone else responsible for our feelings or actions – Whenever we find ourselves holding a human being in the position of being in charge of why we feel or act a certain way, we have empowered that person. In essence, they have a form of “ownership” of our life, whether or not they asked for it. That’s not to say we can’t be influenced by people, but when there is a direct string that attaches us to another person in such a way that we find it difficult to understand we begin and they end, we are in a form of bondage. This is also a symptom of codependency.
When we attempt to control another person – Whether outward and obvious, or subtle and manipulative, when we are engaged in relationships where we are trying to dominate how another person thinks, feels or acts, we’ve taken a position of control that contradicts God’s principles. This can be rather difficult to see, especially if we tend to believe we are truly benefitting the people in our lives who we wish to control, such as an adult child or spouse.
Sometimes, our efforts to control others are methods to manage and deal with our fears and insecurities. We begin to think that if we can control the people in our life, we’ll be able to feel stable. However, this rarely occurs. Trying to control another person only makes matters worse.
Other times, we may have learned to use control as a form of power over others, thus use it to get what we need or desire in relationships. This mindset is similar to a dictator – and clearly is a form of bondage that needs to be dealt with.
We allow our emotions to dictate our reality – For anyone who has struggled with depression or serious anxiety, those symptoms are real. For those who deal with anger and rage, those symptoms are also real. But where we have an emotional issue in our life that is paralyzing us to the point that we can’t overcome it in a healthy way, our hearts are not free. Emotions are indicators of deeper underlining issues. When we can find those root issues and deal with them according to God’s provisions in our lives, the emotional issues might not completely end initially, but we won’t feel as though they have to overpower all aspects of our lives. If we emotional issues that feel out of control, it’s an indication that need to deal with something significant.
We are self-sufficient – In a culture that encourages self-sufficiency and independence, it’s difficult to recognize that it is actually a form of bondage rather than freedom. Our chronic need to manage our own life, fix our own problems and meet our own needs removes the ability of God to provide in our lives. It causes us to depend on ourselves rather than Him, thus leaves us exhausted and unable to overcome the trials of life.
What to Do If My Heart Isn’t Free
If you recognize areas where you don’t have freedom, it simply means that there is a life awaiting you that will allow you to become who God intended you become if you will surrender and trust Him. God doesn’t just come to bring us abundance in the material sense; He comes to bring abundance to our souls – to restore us and position us for the life He designed for us to live. This abundance produces in us His resources – love, peace, grace, kindness, patience, compassion. It doesn’t take away the challenges of life, however, it just gives us a better way to deal with them.
So how can you get free? It’s important to know that it’s not your own efforts that will get you on track. As we begin to understand that we have bondage in our life, we must also understand that the Only One who can deliver us is our Lord Jesus. It’s easy to profess Jesus Christ with our lips, but we also must give Him access into our hearts. This requires that we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, honest and authentic before Him.
Many times we stay in our bondage and adapt our lives around it. While we may not be free, we are scared of what the cost might be if we truly surrendered fully to God. Therefore, we keep hanging on, missing out on God’s authentic purpose for us. In order to move into freedom, we must first understand that God does not force us into relationship with Him, and therefore, will only go to the places where we grant Him permission.
Giving God Access:
The only cure for a lack of freedom in our hearts is through an invitation to our Lord Jesus. We must:
Acknowledge/face the areas of my life where I’m in bondage and bringing it openly before the Lord.
Confess and ask for His forgiveness and grace to cover me
Allow (give permission) to God, through the Holy Spirit, to get into the deep areas of my heart so He can reveal the roots that have driven me into bondage. This may take time, and it may be painful at times.
Continually denounce the things that I hold onto that replace the provisions of God – and continually announce the authority of God to manage my life on my behalf
Prayer of Deliverance
Father God,
I acknowledge that I’ve allowed things into my life that have placed me in bondage. I chose these things to survive, to feel good or to independently manage my life apart from you. I realize that I have been caught in a trap. I can’t get out of it on my own. I don’t even have the capability to understand or know what is happening in my heart. Lord, today, I release these things over to you and surrender my heart and my life to you. I pray that you would take me out of the trap I climbed into. I give you permission to get on the inside of me and reveal and deal with those things in my life that led me into bondage. I pray to renounce each and every sin, relationship or mentality that stands in contradiction to your truth. I announce that I am a precious child of God, free in Your truth and free to become who you created me to become. Father, I need your grace because I know that I won’t be zapped overnight. Lead me to the right recovery community or support system so that I can learn to walk out that freedom from here on out.
Need to search your heart? Are you getting ready to do a “searching and fearless moral inventory?” Who is capable of helping you look deep within your inner most self? Who knows your heart better than you? If you want to know what’s going on inside you, why not ask your Maker? God knows your strengths, your weaknesses, and every detail about you. He even knows the exact number of hairs on our head. When it comes to your heart and mind, God is the only One capable of revealing the problems, and presenting the solutions. Without Him, there is no recovery. As a matter of Biblical fact, Jesus is the solution to all our problems. Psychology can, at times, analyze problems, but it can’t fix (heal) them. Only God has the power to heal.
Before we begin to understand the purpose of Steps 4 and 5, let’s review the first 3 steps:
Step 1 was the realization that we were defeated and powerless over drugs and alcohol. It is a step of “coming out of denial.
Step 2 is the step of hope. Seeing we have a problem means nothing if we don’t believe we can find a solution to our problem.
Step 3 is a surrender of our will to God’s through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Once we’ve received Jesus Christ, we have all the tools necessary to continue through the process of biblical change. We are going to learn that steps 4 and 5 are critical in the “cleaning up” process of our life. This deals with our habitual sins and patterns, AND the deeper issues that drive these behaviors. We need to understand:
The exact nature of the things we’ve done wrong to self, to God and to others
The reasons why we do what we do (cause and effect)
A person can become a Christian, and even become sober, but if he or she never faces his or her issues, he or she will still experience internal conflict at a variety of levels. Anyone who has been a Christian for a longer period of time understands that simply accepting Jesus doesn’t instantly bring us the changes we desire. It is a process of change that happens over time through spiritual maturity. These steps are merely a “road map.” When empowered by the Holy Spirit, these steps guide us through the process of biblical transformation.
The Requirements
What is required in this process? There are simple ingredients: honesty, willingness and openness. On page 58 in the Big Book, it is written, “Rarely have we seen someone fail who has thoroughly followed these steps. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women that are constitutionally incapable of being honestwith themselves. It is clearly written that; if we follow the suggestions of those that have successfully pioneered before us, we will recover.
The Purpose of Step 4 and Step 5.
Step 4 is the reality check step. It is only when we have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior that we have power to perform this step. Prior to that, we were blinded by our sinful desires and lusts. Without a surrender to our Lord, we were without power. Now, we are capable of seeing the reality of our behaviors as well as others, and we are able to do something about them. As we look at this step, we must remember some important truths.
God loves the sinner, not the sin. He will never look at sinful behavior and approve of it. The behavior is just plain unacceptable in His eyes. He paid a hefty price for the forgiveness of it, and His position on this will never change.
God wants to forgive us. The purpose of exposing bad behaviors is to seek His forgiveness, not to experience shame. God desires that we repent so that He can wash us clean. We are sin stained rags, cleansed by His blood and presented to God as white as snow.
God wants to show us the roots behind our sin. We are actually living in the effects of another’s behaviors. God knows the summation of our life experiences and desires to clean us up and set us free at root levels.
God loves us unconditionally. There is nothing we can do past or present that will change His love for us.
God is asking us to face this step with Him, hand-in-hand, in order to experience a deeper level of His freedom. Choosing to do so allows us to become the person He created us to be as He proceeds to remove the various layers of dysfunction in our life.
Step 4: “Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”
Why an Inventory?
As simplistic as it may sound, no one seeks solution for a problem they don’t believe exists. Step 4 and 5 are all about seeing things as they really are, not how we pretend them to be, and then properly dealing with them. Both steps require honesty and humility. Different sponsors utilize different approaches when it comes to the steps. In any case, the key ingredient necessary in experiencing a full healing is forgiveness.
Doing a “searching and fearless moral inventory” requires a fear remover. There is only One! The Bible tells us that God is love and that “perfect love casts out ALL fear“. So literally, a Fear-less search is a God-full search. The objective of these steps cannot be properly accomplished without Him. He not only helps with the search, but exposes, discloses, disposes and heals the wounds these behaviors have caused.
Step 5: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
In step five, three very important things take place.
We admit (confess) to God – to receive His forgiveness. (1 John 1:9) “But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
We admit (confess) to our self, coming out of denial – and acknowledging the facts.
We admit (confess) to another person for healing (James 5:16) “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed”
In order to guide and direct you in this process, we suggest that you take the following steps:
1.Find a sponsor or spiritual mentor, a brother or sister who is spiritually mature and godly – not one just “sitting “in a 12 step meeting. A good candidate would be one truly exhibiting the characteristics of Jesus. Remember, a wrong choice may be costly A sponsor/mentor should never try to replace the influence of the Spirit of God.
2.Properly work through the first three steps, accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Then, and only then are you equipped to proceed to step four.
3.Begin by writing your life story from childhood to current. Focus on the things that have hurt you or traumatized you; abandonment, disappointments, heartaches, unmet expectations, fears and any form of abuse. Include decisions you made that were wrong, and specific ways you felt you were violated.
4.Based on your story, focus in on specific people and situations that are painful. Write detailed lists expressing your thoughts, feelings and actions in those situations. For example, if a parent was verbally abusive, explain how you dealt with it. What were you thinking and feeling in that situation? How did you respond?
5.Write a list of the ways you have caused harm or injury to others. Include sexual sins if applicable. If it’s helpful, keep scripture close by that reminds you of God’s faithfulness. The enemy is prone to attack as you face self. God wants us to face these things so He can offer His forgiveness.
6.Write a list of how you have hurt yourself through your actions. Include sexual sins if applicable (sexual sins hurt us the most because they are sins against our body).
7.Write a list of the people who have hurt you in ways you don’t feel you deserve. As you begin to feel sad or overcome by anger, review your list of the things you have done wrong.
8.Realize that you can only be set free from sin through the blood of Jesus. You alone are powerless to stop sinning.
9.Realize that the people who have sinned against you have the same condition as you. While you don’t need to forgive their behaviors (especially since you can’t anyway – only God can forgive sin), in the name of Jesus, choose to forgive the people.
10.Prepare to share your list with God and your sponsor/mentor. You do not need to share it with another person in order for God to forgive you, but the Bible tells us that He heals us when we share our sin with others. (James 5:16)
11.Read the Word of God continually throughout the process. Spiritual maturity is a requirement in order to keep the freedom God so generously bestowed upon us. As we do our part, He is faithful and just to do His.
Full deliverance may not be immediate, but progressive as we begin to understand more about the sinful nature of our “flesh.” and as we continue to look into the various areas of our life that have been affected by demonic influence. We can put a label on them, such as; “character defects,” or “short-comings,” but the bottom line is that they all stem from sin, and need to be addressed as sin in order for them to be properly dealt with. All those unhealthy spiritual connections need to be addressed, confessed, and renounced, leading to new levels of freedom.
Remember, you can’t do this alone. You need your Creator to do this for you. He knows where you have been, and even more important, has a purpose and plan for your life. Give yourself to Him, allow Him to perform this process in your life and prepare for the transformation that will usher you into God’s peace, fulfillment and purpose.
Dr. Robert Tucker is the Director of New Life Spirit Recovery. He also trains and equips men and women to become certified drug and alcohol counselors for the state of California, utilizing biblical principles.
As we prepare to take a deeper look at the 12 steps, the most important thing to remember is that Jesus loves each of us regardless of where we came from or what we’ve done. He understands exactly what happened, where things went wrong and wants to help us become healthy, productive members of His body. He wants us to come to Him for help just as we are. When we submit to Him, He changes us little by little from the inside out, one day at a time. What we get out of recovery will directly reflect what we put into it. Yes, it does require effort on our part.
Remember, it is God’s desire that we spend eternity with Him. If you are reading this, you can be confidently assured that He is calling you (tugging at your heart) and wants you. Do you know that not everyone will make it to heaven? Do you realize that you have been given the opportunity of a lifetime? The Bible says that narrow is the road to heaven, and here we are traveling it. This is truly a gift. As people caught up in bondage to addictive behaviors, our only hope for freedom is in Jesus. We must grab on to Him for dear life, and never let go. If and when we ask for help, we can rest assured that He will be right there at our side ready and willing to help every step of the way. His transforming power will not only set us free and keep us free, but will also change us into exactly who He created us to be. It is impossible for us to change on our own and God knows this, but He can and will change us if we allow Him to have His way with us. Jesus makes it clear that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. “All things” include staying clean and sober.
Do you have intentional sinful behavior in your life? Things you are doing you know are wrong, yet choosing to do anyway while trying to convince your self and others that your behavior is “not that bad” and that God “understands”? Yes, God does understand and will forgive you if and when you confess and repent, but there are always consequences for unrighteous acts. The Bible says that sin leads to death and eventually it will, and the path it takes you down can be long and painful.
Understanding Steps One, Two and Three
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce the first three steps of the 12-step program, giving you a comprehensive biblical perspective of just what these steps are about. In essence, steps one through three take us from a state of powerlessness, helplessness and hopelessness to a state of having all power, help and hope in Christ! The first 3 steps must be fully and successfully accomplished in order for the remaining steps to properly work.
Let’s take some time to review these steps:
Step One – “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.”
Step Two – “Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”
Step Three – “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”
When I teach Step One as the most significant step, I’m often questioned why. My answer is fairly simple; a life changing third step cannot possibly be achieved without a proper first step. I believe the first step is not a time we choose but rather a divine appointment, a place we arrive at in life. Right around this time, the addict begins to see what everyone else was seeing all along. It is what is known as coming out of denial. The second part of the first step “that our lives had become unmanageable” is the much needed evidence used to properly accomplish the step’s overall objective “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol.” We must be able to see it and believe it before we can honestly do something about it. A person is unable to successfully move beyond this point until this first truth becomes part of his reality. No one seeks a solution for a problem they don’t believe exists and God is the only one able to open blind eyes and deaf ears. Furthermore, just as it is written, NO one knows the Father but the Son and those the Son chooses to reveal Him to. The whole recovery process hinges upon this and only begins in God’s perfect timing.
A thorough Step One properly prepares for the placement of TheFoundation needed for a successful program to be built upon. It removes self from the throne in preparation for the True Rock to be set in place. As one successfully transitions through the first three steps, what transpires is a sincere belief that;
(1) he cannot possibly experience victory on his own
Step One – “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.”
(2 Corinthians 1:9) We had great burdens there that werebeyondourownstrength. We even gave up hope of living. 9Truly, in our own hearts we believed we would die. But this happened so we would not trust in ourselves but in God, who raises people from the dead.”
(Proverbs 28:26) Trusting oneself is foolish, but those who walk in [God’s] wisdom are safe.
(2) there is One that can and will help if He is asked
Step Two – “Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”
(1 Cor. 1:24,25) – But Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God to those people God has called—Jews and Greeks. 25Even the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
(1 Timothy 2:5-6) – For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. 6He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time.
(Romans 12:2) – And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
(3) victory is found only in God’s gift of salvation by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior
Step Three – “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”
o(Acts 1:8) – But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
o(Romans 8:13-14) – Ifyou use your lives to do the wrong things your sinful selves want, youwill die spiritually. ButifyouusetheSpirit’shelp to stop doing the wrong things you do with your body, youwill have true life. 14The true children of God are those who letGod’sSpiritleadthem.
o(Proverbs 3:5-6) – Trust in the LORD with all your heart; donotdependonyourownunderstanding. Seek His will in all you do, and Hewilldirectyourpaths.
o(Philippians 4:13) – I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength.
A successful third step depends on the God-given free will choice that is made. Without Jesus one can at most remain abstinent. With Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, true recovery begins. It is His transformation process that becomes our progress towards His perfection.
Many that were misinformed wonder why the program is not working for them. Accepting God’s gift of salvation is an important choice that He always welcomes with open arms. This is just the beginning of a new life. The first problem surfaces when His Lordship is conveniently left out. Confession, profession, salvation and forgiveness are appealing ideals that are usually grasped, but two other very important ingredients, repentance and His Lordship are often overlooked. It is not uncommon for someone to want to be saved and forgiven, but not be the slightest bit interested in giving up the control they think they have and/or unwilling to repent of their ways. We eventually learn that half measures avail us nothing.
We have a God of reconciliation that created each one of us specifically for His pleasure. Yes, He loves us that much and only wants the best for His precious children. He paid a high price to bring us out of captivity, snatching us back from the prince of this world like a father retrieving his children from a kidnapper.
Have you already surrendered your life to Jesus Christ? If you have not, there is not a better day then today to do that. Steps One through Three can happen right now, if you allow God access.
Receive Jesus into your heart – ask for the gift of salvation, and make Him the Lord of your life!
Dr. Robert Tucker is the Director of New Life Spirit Recovery. He also trains and equips men and women to become certified drug and alcohol counselors for the state of California, utilizing biblical principles.
Please look for our next publication as we begin to study steps 4, 5 &6.
Salvation is a free gift from God to us that is secure in Christ for eternity. However, experiencing freedom, peace, and joy in fullness while living in this sick and dying world requires some level of effort on our part. Accepting Christ as Lord and Savior alone will not keep you from drinking or using. This is the beginning of the process. Removing all forms of bondage, including addiction occurs as we surrender to God on a daily basis allowing Him to guide and direct our path. He provided for us, His Spirit and a book of instruction, His living word that offers all the answers to all the situations we face. He also gave us the necessary power (His power) in Christ to carry them out. The twelve steps (from a Biblical perspective) offer a simplified biblical formula for life-long change. When properly applied, these steps give us the ability to move from mere abstinence towards genuine transformation and deliverance. When achieved, the very things we’ve been searching for all of our life will be found; true freedom, inner peace and joy. The God hole we all have right out of the womb can now be properly filled with Him, by Him and for Him.
What are the 12 Steps and how do they fit with the Bible?
The 12 Steps, when properly understood, are a framework (a formula) that point to verses of scripture specifically chosen for the addicted one. These biblical principles with Christ at the center have the ability to walk men and women out of bondage, clean them up, teach them how to live and equip them to effectively help others find freedom. A physically sick person would go to a doctor and get a medicinal prescription, and if taken as directed, would hopefully recover. The addicted one in most cases, has damage in all three areas (body, soul, and spirit) and is in need of healing in each area. The twelve steps are a “spiritual prescription for scripture” simplified for the afflicted one. The problems buried deep within the soul and spirit are spiritual and thus require a spiritual solution. The only One that can expose and dispose (surgically remove the damage) is the Spiritual Surgeon, Jesus.
Steps 1 through 3 have the ability to take a person from a state of selfish self-centeredness, powerless, helpless, and hopeless, to a Christ-centered life, hopeful and all-powerful in Christ Jesus. At step three, the all-powerful Helper comes to live within. “Made a decision” has a deeper meaning to it. To
Steps 4 through 9 house cleaning steps, a time to utilize the Helper (the Holy Spirit living within) in the cleansing process of inner self. First, immoral behavior (sin) is dealt with, then the sinful nature (the defective character living within) that leads us to sin, and finally we face those that we have harmed with our sinful destructive behaviors. Admitting our wrongs, repenting of that behavior, forgiving one’s self, forgiving others, and receiving God’s forgiveness as well as the forgiveness of others is the key to freedom. What a freeing experience it is to clean up the wreckage of our sinful destructive behaviors.
Step 10 is the maintenance step, teaching us to evaluate our daily behavior, while encouraging us to clean up potential problems before they become problems. Diligently revisiting this step keeps us from building a new inventory of lingering unresolved immoral issues.
Step 11 encourages continual spiritual growth, continuously improving our personal relationship with God. It is His desire to have an ongoingpersonal relationship with each of us, and healthy relationships require good communication. We communicate with Him through prayer and meditation. In prayer, we speak to Him, and through meditation, He speaks to us. Some of our biggest lessons come directly from Him through prayer and meditation.
Step 12 is about trying to help those still suffering in bondage to their addiction. We become living, breathing testimonies of God’s transforming power. Carrying the message of freedom, Biblically speaking, is known as the great commission. Those that have experienced this new found freedom can’t help but want to share it with others.
Why are these Steps so important? The renewing of the mind requires a RE-PROGRAMMING. We must begin to take a serious look at the quality of data we allow to flow into our minds. There is a strong possibility that what we allow in will eventually become a part of who we are. If we feed poison into our physical body, eventually we will get sick, and with larger amounts, we may die. The same goes for the soul and spirit. Men and women can easily find themselves spiritually or emotionally sick from the poison they allow to enter their mind. When we became Christians, our sins were washed away, but our predisposition to think and behave in certain ways (developed as we adjusted to life over the years) remains programmed in our mind. In fact, you can become a born-again believer and continue to live on the basis of the lifestyle you developed while living independently of God. That is why Paul insists that we be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). The twelve steps are a road-map of this process.
How does change occur?
The transformation process is something God does for us (in us) as we spend time with Him. We will eventually begin to realize that spending time with Him is our part in the transformation process. Salvation is a free gift, but transformation on the other hand requires effort on our part. We grow at a speed we set by the amount of time and effort we put into it. As we spend time with Him, reading His Word and in fellowship with Him and His family of believers, He begins to change us (transform us) into His likeness. The 12 steps help keep us on this journey as we learn to face ourselves and God honestly, fully surrendering to Him allowing Him to deal with the sin issues in our life. The more time we spend with Him along this journey, the more (spiritual and emotional) growth we will experience. Day by day, moment by moment, we become more like Jesus.
What it’s all about
We must always remember how precious we are to God. He loved us first before we even knew Him or knew of Him. While we were still sinning against Him, He came to save us from the punishment (sin’s condemnation) we so rightfully deserve. He came so that we might have fellowship with Him. His perfect plan, simply put, was to bring us back to Him, (reconciliation), giving us an opportunity to be with Him for eternity. He did this by sacrificing His only Son, Jesus Christ. Even though we are saved by grace, through faith from sin’s condemnation, we are told to live a certain way. We must live in obedience to God just as He has commanded us to.
Remember, as you embark on the twelve-step journey, the process is entirely rooted and grounded in your relationship with Jesus Christ. Yet it allows us an opportunity to apply biblical principles in fellowship with other people going through the same thing. How about you? Has your 12-step journey begun? Try it and experience the many blessings God has for His obedient children!
The “freedom from prison” the Bible talks about doesn’t necessarily mean a literal “Department of Corrections” type prison with block walls, bars and barbed wire fences. Although God can, and does at times, set prisoners free from behind those walls, in churches and programs, it is not uncommon to see Him set people free from the things that sent them to prison in the first place. I’m talking about the prison we find ourselves in within ourselves. Our flesh, holding our minds captive to sin, is a battle that constantly rages within the mind for control of the body. If Satan can gain control of the mind, he will be the one that controls the body (your actions). He can, and certainly will, but only if we let him. We do have a say in the matter! For this specific reason, we are told to “hold our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.” Even those that have already found freedom in Christ can easily find themselves back in bondage to their sinful desires if they do not heed to God’s warnings and utilize the power He bestowed upon us as believers. He came to Set the Captives Free
Ever wonder why, even though you promised yourself or others that you wouldn’t do something, you ended up doing it anyway? Were you lying when you said it? I wasn’t! I really meant it, but I just couldn’t stop myself when I was confronted with temptation. I tried, and I tried, over and over, and kept failing to do what was right. It is helpful to have some understanding as to why we struggle with control over our actions. Each time our flesh gets its way, if it is sinful and ungodly, our soul (mind) and spirit suffers the consequences right along with it.
Our body is a vessel originally designed to carry (transport) our soul (life within) and spirit. It is also a vessel that other spirits can use and/or abuse if we allow, but only if we allow it. As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit residing within, but our flesh can still be outwardly influenced, consciously and unconsciously by other spirits. Regardless to whether these other spirits are in us or just tagging along attempting to influence our thoughts, they can easily lead us astray if we are not aware of their schemes. We must armor-up in order to survive and learn when to stand firm, resist or flee. This is an area we all must pay serious attention to because our will decides who rides along with us. That’s right, we are the one who makes the ultimate choice. With this in mind, it is helpful to have a clear understanding of what we are dealing with and why we do the things we do even when we really don’t want to. He came to Set the Captives Free
Paul Gives Some Insight: He Came to Set the Captives Free
Romans 7:14-25 says: “The law is good, then. The trouble is not with the law but with me, because I am sold into slavery, with sin as my master. I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. But I can’t help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things. know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can’t make myself do right. I want to, but I can’t. 19 When I want to do good, I don’t. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. But if I am doing what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it. It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.” He came to Set the Captives Free
As Christians, we have The Helper living within that helps us clean up our lives. With Christ, we have the ability to understand what is going on inside us and can do something about it. Scripture helps us to identify our problems and gives us all the answers necessary to find true freedom from the bondage our defects (our sinful nature) have kept us in. God’s truth, His living Word sheds light on those areas of darkness. His Word, the Bible, is a perfect mirror that reflects our imperfections. We look into perfection and see just how imperfect we really are. The deciding factor to true healing lies here – are we willing to take some action or are we going to just turn and walk away? In program, we often hear the words, “more will be revealed.” God’s Word, in combination with convictions from the Holy Spirit, exposes what needs to be changed in us. Then, if we’re willing, His transforming power helps us make these changes. God is the one that exposes the lies, discloses His truth, and surgical removes the defects buried deep with-in. He also heals the wounds they caused. He is the great I Am! He is everything and all we’ll ever need. Our part in the deliverance process is to come to Him with honesty, open-mindedness, and a willingness to do whatever is asked of us. These three ingredients are key factors in a successful recovery. They equal surrender of self and a willingness to follow direction. The only reason we’re able to stay clean today is because, at some point in our past, we had a desire, and out of that desire, a willingness grew. Out of this willingness, we find the ability to truly surrender and God appears. There is an old saying; “when the student is ready, the Teacher appears”. He was always there, we just couldn’t see Him because we were in the way. He knows we need Him and He anxiously awaits our invite.
God comments about those who think they can do it without Him
Psalms 2:3-6
“Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from this slavery.” But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The LORD scoffs at them. Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury.
For the LORD declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, my holy city.”
Jesus was sent for this very purpose! To deny Him is as though we are saying His suffering was done in vain. Do you believe that what He says can apply to your life and your circumstances? If not, what’s holding you back from trusting Him? Turn to Him today. He loves you and your freedom is His goal!
Dr. Robert Tucker is the Director of New Life Spirit Recovery. He also trains and equips men and women to become certified drug and alcohol counselors for the state of California, utilizing biblical principles.
Our clinical directors are well known published authors whose materials are used throughout the country and even the world. New Life Spirit Recoverywas established in 2004 and has been recognized by many credible ministries such a Focus on the Family and Calvary Chapel.
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So exactly what makes the Christian approach to recovery any different?
A Biblical Perspective by Dr. Robert T. Tucker
In a world full of so called solutions, the Christian needs to clearly understand recovery from a Biblical perspective and what the healing process entails. Recovery doesn’t just happen and recovery from a deeper Biblical perspective is not common even in programs that claim to be Christian or incorporate a Christian track. There are key ingredients that must be in the equation for true change to happen. The Christian approach delivers something no other can. True inner peace and joy only comes from the Prince of Peace. There is just as big of a difference between happiness and true peace and joy, as there is between the secular world view and the Christian world view. They are literally worlds apart. The secular view at its best can only deliver happiness, an outward experience. On the other hand, Jesus delivers true inner peace and joy. Happiness comes and goes as we acquire and lose the things of this world, but peace and joy is something God fills us with and nothing in this world can take it away.
Understanding the makeup of a true Christian Counselor from a Biblical perspective:
Before one can properly fill this position, some very important truths must become their reality. A Christian counselor must understand that he is nothing more than a chosen vessel. His objective is to die to self, letting the True Counselor Jesus, deliver His solution through him. Too often people are labeled by their behaviors. The counselor must be able to clearly separate people from their behavior, loving them, not their sin. Love is the Christian counselor’s biggest asset.
There are many belief systems and approaches being utilized in the recovery arena. I will briefly explain three different combinations of counselor and their approach to give you a better idea of what is available. First, we have the secular counselor utilizing secular theories and practices such as Gestalt Therapy by Carl Fritz, Psychoanalytic Therapy by Sigmund Freud and Person-centered Therapy by Carl Rogers. Most, if not all secular approaches do not include God in the process. Second, we have the Christian counselor that counsels utilizing the same theories and practices the secular counselor uses. Be aware, a person labeling self a Christian counselor may mean just that; a Christian that is a counselor working in the recovery arena. Third, we have the Christian counselor who knows the True Counselor Jesus and allows Him to work through him. This counselor counsels using life changing principles from a Biblical perspective that is only found in the Living Word of God and a relationship with Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the Real Counselor! A Christian in bondage to addictive behaviors needs True Solution. There is no way around it; spiritual problems require a spiritual solution. The Spiritual Solution is Jesus!
The world says the Christian counselor, when operating outside the church, must obtain certain certificates and degrees in order to offer God’s solution to hurting people. In most situations, the Biblical solution to addiction, in and of itself, is only allowed to be utilized within the confinements of the church. Unfortunately, this type of counseling is not recognized by some of the most significant players in the recovery arena such as Judges and the court system as a whole. The Christian counselor called to serve in this arena must acquire whatever is necessary to properly fit the position. As he steps outside the church to deliver God’s true solution, he must operate as a professional while never discounting truth.
Understanding the Counselee – the make-up of man from a Biblical perspective
By design, God perfectly created man a three part being consisting of a physical body, a soul and a spirit. All three areas are significantly important in all aspects of life. When all three are cleansed, healthy and functioning in sync, man can experience life in fullness the way God planned it to be.
Physical body – The physically body consisting of flesh and bone, houses man’s life (his soul and spirit) and is the vehicle at which life travels in this world. The body is life’s means of transportation, and when damaged, hinders man’s ability to move around according to design. When the body dies, although man’s presence in this world ceases to exist, his soul (his life) continues to live elsewhere in either one of two places for eternity. This should be the counselor’s primary concern. Without salvation, eternity in hell is definite, and any level of true change while here on earth is not possible.
Soul – The soul was perfectly designed by the Source of Perfection to last forever. The soul is literally life within the physical body consisting of the mind, a free will and emotions. It is here that reside man’s beliefs, memories, thoughts, and feelings. God has given man a free will to choose what he will accept as his beliefs. He literally has the ability to choose what he accepts as his truth, but his truth is not God’s truth, and will be the pivot point of the direction his life will take.
Spirit – At creation, God’s perfect design for man included spirit life and God said it was good. That changed in the garden when sin entered the picture. Both Adam and Eve died spiritually and began to die physically. Man’s soul is eternal and although the eternal part did not change, the soul itself became dysfunctional. What also changed was where man may spend eternity. This changed again when Jesus was crucified and now man has options. The beautiful thing incorporated into God’s plan is; man actually gets to choose his destiny. His decision is made in the area of his soul, his God given free will to choose. If he chooses salvation through Jesus, he is given spirit life and when his time here on earth comes to an end; his spirit will carry his soul to be with God for eternity. If he refuses the gift of salvation or chooses not to respond, by default, he will spend eternity in hell. Spirit life has many other benefits in the here and now. Our spirit communicates with God’s Spirit and God ministers to our spirit through His Spirit. His Spirit becomes our Counselor, Teacher, Comforter, Protector, Guide, Director and anything and everything we will ever need. With Him, we are never alone! This Biblical perspective is His truth!
Understanding the Problem:
The real battle a person faces on a daily basis is one that rages for the control of the mind. The one that gains control of the mind gets to control the body as well. Scripture has specifically warns us about this and we are told to “hold our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.” All of our thoughts must be filtered through His truth before we can safely act upon them. If they are not good and right, they are not of God and there is a good chance they were fired straight out of the pits of hell.
Coming from a Biblical perspective, man has three enemies in this world that have him surrounded and one happens to be the flesh he lives in.
The body – The Bible tells us the flesh is evil, born into sin, easily deceived and sins naturally. Its evil desires need to be denied which can only be effectively accomplished through spiritual maturity and the power of Jesus.
Satan – We have invisible foes, Satan and his army of fallen angels. Tempting and accusing is among their many deceptive schemes. We have been warned by God that Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy lives. Just a Biblical perspective
The world – The world is literally still under the control of the prince of darkness. Satan uses his influence to produce many lures, distractions and temptations.
The makeup of man consists of three parts and all three parts (body, soul and spirit) are subject to the effects of the presence of evil. To ignore the spiritual aspect when addressing man’s problems would be like ignoring germs while trying to cure a germ induced illness. Most behaviors, if not all are spirit influenced at some level and to some degree. Both avoidance that it exists (denial) and ignorance gives the enemy the upper hand in a battle we are in whether we like it or not. It is known fact that no one seeks a solution for a problem they don’t believe exists. Biblical perspective
When dealing with behaviors, it is important to understand the difference between cause and effect. Most of what we see in ourselves and others fall in the category of effect. When clearly understood, the difference between the two becomes good news to those struggling in destructive lifestyles. Typically, they are living in the effects of someone or something else. By no means are we looking to blame or excuse behavior. We are in search of the root cause of the destructive behavior. There are understandable reasons why people act the way they do and there is an absolute solution that leads to true change. He is Jesus! He is without limit, all knowing, all powerful and everywhere standing ready to assist anyone that asks. God has said in His word that His people perish because of their ignorance.
Too often people are labeled by their behaviors. Who they are and what they do is not one in the same. People are not their behaviors and we must be able to separate the two (within ourselves and others) in order to love one another the way God wants us to. A Christian’s identity should be found only in Christ. We do not have bad people; we have people with bad behavior. This is good news, because behaviors can change. Identify the cause, expose the lie and we are a step closer to change. There are understandable reasons why people feel the way they feel and act the way they do. Spiritual affliction and emotional damage play a big part in it.
Emotional Wounds – Believing lies sickens the soul. One example would be a child that repeatedly hears; “you will never amount to anything.” If that child believes those words, they will eventually affect the way he thinks about self, feels about self and behaves. At some point, this defective thinking will affect the way he sees others as well, feels about them and treats them. There is a very good chance he will not amount too much just as he was told unless someone reveals the truth to him; that God loves him, that he is precious in God’s eyes and that he can do all things with the help of Jesus.
Believing lies sickens the soul. Another example would be a daughter of a divorced mother waking up and seeing a different man in her mommy’s bed each weekend. This child will eventually accept her mom’s behavior as normal. If she believes what she sees as acceptable and right, it will affect the way she thinks about herself, feels about herself and treats herself. It will also play a major role in how she allows herself to be treated by others. A couple of messages that can easily be received from this experience are; marriage is not a sacred lifetime commitment; and it is OK for her to have sex outside of marriage with anyone she chooses. This child’s beliefs will need correction at some point (the strongholds will need to be broken) or there is a strong chance she will manifest this same or similar behavior in her own life.
The effects of un-dealt with emotional damage can manifest in a variety of ways. We cannot change the effects without properly processing the cause (the reason why). It would be inappropriate for a Christian counselor to tell a counselee, as the solution, that he or she should not be feeling or acting a certain way. There are reasons why people feel and act. It would be like telling a prisoner in prison for stealing, not to steal when he gets out if he wants to stay out. Although the statement is very true, both stealing and going to prison are effects of something else. Even saying “if you would just quit using drugs, you wouldn’t need to steal to support your habit, and you wouldn’t end up back in prison” although accurate, would still be inappropriate coming from a counselor. The drug use is but a mere symptom of a much deeper issue or issues. The counselor would be more effective assisting the counselee on a journey into the past, with the help of the Holy Spirit, seeking to locate the root causes. The Holy Spirit not only knows exactly what issues need to be dealt with but has the ability to expose them, dispose of them and heal the wounds caused by them. The Biblical perspective takes us to deeper levels of understanding.
Spiritual Affliction – Most counselors with a secular world view overlook spirit affliction and the possibility of spirit affliction leading to struggles such as anxiety and depression. Through personal experience working with many men and women, I have found that most emotional challenges are caused by sin or some sort of trauma, and in most situations, it was someone else’s sin that instigated the trauma such as a molestation or some other form of abuse. Both have the potential of opening doorways for spirit entry. To discount the reality of the spiritual realm and its influence would be a big mistake. We must understand the spiritual truths of the Bible. A true Biblical perspective is key because we are not talking about religion but rather a relationship with the Author of the Bible. Spiritual problems require a spiritual solution. Ever wonder why; each time a person relapses, their behaviors worsen? Jesus has a thing or two to share about this particular subject in the following scripture.
Matthew 12:43 “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
We can easily see that we are dealing with intelligent beings. They have the ability to travel freely, the knowledge to seek something in particular, they know where they came from and can find their way back, they remember the condition the person was in when they left, and can bring back with them other spirits even more wicked than themselves. Without question, these spirits influence the destructive behaviors of man.
In the following scripture, we are given an example of just how much of an influence they can be. I personally believe there spirits attempting to influence all behavior, be it good or evil. Here we are given an example of just how severe the condition of man can get when afflicted by many spirits.
Mark 5:1 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. 4For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. (NIV) The Biblical perspective is clear!
6When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!” 8For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!”
9Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
11A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. (NIV)
Just as we see how severe an affliction can get, Jesus also gives a clear example of His ability to set captives free. Jesus changed this man’s condition in an instant. Also note that as soon as the man was set free, his desire was to follow Jesus. In this particular case, Jesus had a different plan for him. He was told to go back to his people and give his testimony. For some, being of service is nothing more than being prepared to give testimony in and out of season about what God has done for you always viewing the transformation at a deeper level from a Biblical perspective.
In the following scripture we see that, although the enemy works through man, man in and of himself, is clearly not the enemy. We cannot win spiritual battles with guns and knives. These battles must be fought spiritually using the resources God has provided. A person in bondage to the enemy’s schemes is in desperate need of spiritual help. We can assist those in captivity (in the throes of an addiction, etc.) by making ourselves available to God to be used by Him as His vessels to deliver His solution. He said “you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” Truth is what leads a man out of bondage towards a life of true freedom. We, His saints and ministers, His ambassadors on earth, are delivers of His truth. Every believer has been provided with everything necessary to walk in freedom in the here and now. God says His people perish in their ignorance. We need to understand and utilize the full armor. An important part of winning a battle is having a clear understanding of the enemy. We need to be able to identify him, understand the types of weapons he uses, understand his schemes and tactics and be familiar with the battleground. The most important ingredient in winning this battle is; understanding who we are in Christ. God has provided for us everything necessary to bring victory in every battle we face. Paul shares a little about the battle in the following scripture. It is not with people, but with the spirits influencing their behavior.
Eph. 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Understanding the Healing Process from a Biblical perspective:
The Holy Spirit is the only One able to expose and dispose lies. He is the One that walks us through the process that, depending on the particular issues involved, requires some level of action on our part including steps such as confession, repentance, renouncing and forgiveness. The most important ingredient in the healing process is forgiveness which is not possible without the other three. Without forgiveness, there is no true freedom and without freedom there is no true reconciliation with Him or among the body as a whole. Remember, a high price was paid for reconciliation, a byproduct of His forgiveness. The Biblical perspective tells us this was the very reason Jesus went to the cross.
The process is identified by many labels but all require the similar steps if true freedom is expected.
Initially we need to get right with God, than self and then with others. We can accomplish this task using the 12 twelve steps as long as Jesus is involved. Why Jesus? Because without Him, there is no true forgiveness, and without forgiveness there is no true freedom. Our part is confessing our sins to God for forgiveness and to each other for healing. We forgive people, God forgives sin.
The beginning of a new life is pretty cut and dry.
He offers His gift of salvation – Romans 10:9 For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. 11As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed.”£12Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They all have the same Lord, who generously gives his riches to all who ask for them. 13For “Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
He offers His forgiveness – 1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness
He shares what is necessary for healing – James 5:16 – Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
The growth process, aka transformation requires participation. When we understand what the Biblical perspective (i.e. Biblical world view) is, Christians being followers of Christ, and the term “called to become Christ like” starts to get become clear and more reachable. How is this possible? He is perfect! How could we be anything like Him? He has made it very simple, maybe too simple for us to take seriously. All He asks is that we spend some time with Him and He will do the rest. With Him, we can become like Him. There is nothing like getting to know Him intimately. As He changes us on the inside, He radiates through us and we get to experience the blessing.
Maintaining your Freedom from a Biblical perspective:
Don’t let Satan steal your joy. Most of your problems are “all in your head” so to speak. All behaviors start out with a thought. No action on the voluntary side of the nervous system happens without starting out as a thought. Any thought entertained long enough stands a good chance of becoming an action. And any action repeated over time has the potential of becoming a habit. Hopefully by now, we understand that habits can be either good or bad. We must learn to hold our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, filtering them through His truth, quickly rejecting any that are in opposition to it.
Steps ten through twelve are perfect examples of what needs to be practiced on a regular basis to help maintain the freedom acquired up to this point. We continue to clean house, grow spiritually and share the gift of freedom with others. From a Biblical perspective, this would equate an ongoing transformation.
