Step 3

 "Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

Matthew 16:24-25

Today we continue our look into discussing the biblical recovery process to bring light to September being National Recovery Month.  We are brought now to step three of the 12 step process which tells us, that we made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to God.  This is a huge challenge in the process.  First, we confessed and admitted we have a problem and need help, then we came to believe that it is going to take the Lord and a miracle to get my life together, and now as we move to step three, we need to FULLY surrender our lives and wills to the care of God.  This is yet another BIG action step.  But, what does it look like to really surrender your life and will to God?  This sounds good, and as Christians we know we are to be doing the will of God, but how does that really manifest in our lives?  Well, if you are in recovery and new to it, it probably means you will need to do the opposite of what you would normally do for a solid period of time.  Allow others that you trust to guide and take care of all your major and minor decisions for a while.  It really takes renewing of the mind to do God's will, which comes by studying the word, praying, and godly mentor-ship (Rom 12:2).  But, the portion of scripture above details the defining way to do God's will and turn it all over to Him, this comes from surrender.  For so long we have allowed pride, deceit, trauma, and sin to rule our lives.  We proudly deny help, and continue to do exactly what we want, when we want.  The disease of substance abuse disorder is progressive.  Meaning it is either getting gradually better, and usually very quickly worse.  The common denominator as to which way it goes, depends on where you stand with surrendering your will.  You continue to do everything you want and your way without help, the progressive nature of the disease will cause you to quickly backslide.  However, if you "deny yourselves, pick up your cross, and follow me", you are standing in active surrender and will begin to start the process of healing.  Denying yourself means you don't do what you want, which for most of us in recovery, is what got us this bad off in the first place.  As we pick up our cross, we are wearing our burden on our sleeve.  Now that we have admitted to our addiction we bear our cross openly, with humility and honesty, to help us get better.  And finally, we follow Him.  We follow Jesus, and the biblically based 12 steps, using godly mentors that have been through what we have been through and are way further along in the process.  Surrendering our wills and lives to God starts with a decision and continues as we deny our desires, study His word, and become more like Christ.  This surrender is the basis and beginning, big action, with the healing recovery process, and it continues daily.  Today, evaluate things you need to surrender to God, whether in recovery or not, we are all in sin recovery!  Pray, and ask the Lord to guide you in His Holy Spirit to people to help you heal, and ask the Lord to show you His will for you life.  Pray that He gives you the strength and courage to do His will for today!  Love you all!  Praying for you and yours!  Have a blessed day, it's your choice!