I remember talking to a person years ago and he would say how he used to be so into himself that he could be in a room of 50 people and if 49 of the people treated him well, those 49 people would end up getting overshadowed by the 1 person who did not treat him the way he expected to be treated. Hypersensitivity is one of the many “isms” attached to our addiction problem. Hypersensitivity or being easily offended is a by-product of self-centeredness which is a by-product of our ultimate killer which is fear.
When I first got sober and started trying to live life on life’s terms I was always on edge, always looking for someone to offend me. Then I began to try not only to recite the Serenity Prayer daily, but to live it. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” Living the serenity pray, a day at a time, allows me to quickly decipher what I can control and what I can’t control. But most importantly the prayer starts with God and not Jay. When I seek God’s guidance in all situations I find myself being “unoffendable.” Being unoffendable means I decide (with God’s help) whether or not I need to change or I need to let go.
I have found my ability to be offended these days is inversely proportionate to my spiritual walk. The stronger my spiritual walk, the less I am into Jay and the less I am into Jay the less I am able to be offended and the less I am able to be offended the more peace I have in my heart and the more peace I have in my heart the more humble I am. And “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5) One of my goals these days is to find favor from God in all I do.
If this blog makes sense to you, then you are on the right track. If I offended you, well…you still have some work to do. The key to all of this is to simply not take yourself so seriously.
This blog may be somewhat of a hodge podge of blah blah blah, but I recently witnessed a friend in recovery go off and act awfully stupid over something they had absolutely no control over…but for the Grace of God there go I.
P.E.A.C.E.
Jay, so many of us do not understand humbility.( I know what you’re thinking…sp?) The ability to be humble. As guys we are taught to be strong. Big boys don’t cry. We have to be the bread winners, the man of the house. in striving for those things we lose sight of God’s perspective of what being a man is about. Through humbleness and humility, I have found that that’s where the real strength lies. A man who is humble is one who fears his maker and realizes where his true strength comes from. His source of truth , light, foregiveness, and unconditional love that is found only in Jesus Christ.
God bless you and have a great weekend!
Reed
Thanks Reed…see you tomorrow night.