For years I knew who Christ was but I didn’t understand what he could do for me. Then when I finally believed what he could do for me, I wouldn’t let him do it. Then I was introduced to the 12 Steps which originated from Alcoholics Anonymous.
The 12 Steps served as a way for me to get my slate clean of fear, guilt, selfishness, self doubt, hatred, envy, resentment, jealousy, anger etc…AND eventually led me to a relationship with Jesus…and I’ve never looked back (although satan tries to get me to look back every chance he gets).
The 12 Steps provide a “step by step” approach of clearing the wreckage of the past in order to have perfect access to the Holy Spirit which is Jesus/God. If the wreckage is never dealt with, it is impossible to enjoy the true fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22) on a daily basis.
About four years ago a handful of Christian recovery folk (addicts and alcoholics) planned and started the Next Step Recovery Celebration at Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City, Ohio. This celebration takes place every Saturday evening at 6:30pm. I was a part of this group and the one thing all of us had in common was the fact that the 12 Steps had led us to Jesus. Not just a warm and cuddly relationship with Jesus, but a personal, no holds barred, one-on-one relationship that no longer included all the clouds, storms, pits, garbage and negative emotions generated from the past. Having experienced the positive results of combining the Steps with Jesus, we wanted others to experience the same whether they were recovering from an addiction, struggling with their faith, or wanted to grow as a Christian.
The key to Christian living is to be able to surrender to a daily relationship with Jesus and repent of our sins without taking them back and in turn love others and bring others to Him. This is where I had problems prior to the Steps. Even though I knew Jesus forgave me, I would always end up taking what I had repented-back and then the hurricanes would start up again. Not only did this hinder my ability to love others but it would result in destructive behavior towards myself. Can you say selish, self-centered…can you say Satan? The 12 Steps have helped cure me of this behavior one day at a time.
Believe it or not, some members of The Next Step Recovery Community have put together a 12 Step class for all people with or without addictions. The class will be educational in nature but will give the attendees a deeper understanding of the 12 Steps and hopefully the desire to tackle them. The class begins this week on Wednesday, September 8th and will meet every Wednesday from 7:00pm to 8:30pm in room 104 at the Discipleship Center on the south campus of Ginghamsburg. For more information go to www.ginghamsburg.org or directly to the fall class guide at http://ginghamsburg.org/featuredevents.
The 12 Steps brought me to Christ and Christ brought me the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit is what I strive to have-24/7-no matter what the situation. Galatians 5:22-26 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”
What is your “fruit” looking like these days? Maybe it’s time to take The Next Step and learn more about the 12 Steps.
P.E.A.C.E