The good news--- healing is possible for people dealing
with the destruction, despair, and hopelessness of substance abuse. Many
addicts and families find restoration through the power and grace of Jesus
Christ. Churches can declare the
love of Christ and at the same time make a big difference in the lives
of individuals, families, and communities stricken by substance ab
The 12 Steps
for Spiritual Study are:
-
We admit that we are
powerless over sin - that our lives had become unmanageable.
-
Come to believe that a Power
greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity.
-
We make a decision to turn
our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understand Him.
-
We make a searching and
fearless moral inventory
of ourselves.
-
We admit to God, to
ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
-
We are entirely ready to
have God remove all these defects of character.
-
We humbly ask Him to remove
our shortcomings.
-
We make a list of all
persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
-
We make direct amends to
such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
-
We continue to take personal
inventory and, when we are wrong, promptly admit it.
-
Seek through prayer and
meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understand Him,
praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
-
Having had a spiritual
awakening as the result of these steps we try to carry this message to others,
and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
1. We
admitted we were powerless over the effects of our separation from God -- that
our lives had become unmanageable.
·
Romans 7:18
·
17
But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I
know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is
present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the
good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I
practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but
sin that dwells in me. 21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the
one who wills to do good.
2. Came to
believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
·
Phillipians 2:13
·
9
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above
every name, 10 that at the
name of Jesus every
knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under
the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the
glory of God the Father.
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only,
but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His
good pleasure. 14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that
you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the
midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in
the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of
Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
3. Made a
decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood
Him.
·
Romans 12:1
·
12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your
reasonable service. 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 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to
think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as
God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
4. Made a
searching and
fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
·
Lamentations 3:40
·
37
Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, When the Lord has not commanded it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That woe and well-being proceed? 39
Why should a living man complain, A man for the punishment of his sins? 40
Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the LORD; 41 Let us
lift our hearts and hands To
God in heaven.
5. Admitted
to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
·
James 5:16
·
14
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let
them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the
name of the Lord. 15
And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And
if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to
one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective,
fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a
nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not
rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the
heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 19 Brethren, if anyone among
you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he
who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and
cover a multitude of sins.
6. Were
entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
·
James 4:10
·
7
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near
to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify
your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter
be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the
sight of the Lord,
and He will lift you up. 11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He
who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and
judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a
judge. 12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you
to judge another?
7. Humbly
asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
·
1
John 1:9
·
5
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is
light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with
Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we
walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,
and the
blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we
say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned,
we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
8. Made a
list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
·
Luke 6:31
·
27
"But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28
"bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. 29 "To
him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who
takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. 30 "Give to everyone
who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.
31 "And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. 32
"But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even
sinners love those who love them. 33 "And if you do good to those who do good to
you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 "And if you
lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?
For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 "But love your
enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will
be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the
unthankful and evil. 36 "Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is
merciful. 37 "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall
not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 "Give, and it will be
given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will
be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be
measured back to you."
9. Made
direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would
injure them or others.
·
Matthew 5:24-24
·
21
"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and
whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' 22 "But I say to you that
whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the
judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the
council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. 23
"Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your
brother has something against you, 24 "leave your gift there before the altar,
and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer
your gift. 25 "Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way
with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over
to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 "Assuredly, I say to you, you
will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
10. Continued
to take personal inventory and, when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
·
1 Corinthians 10:12
·
11
Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our
admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him
who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken
you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you
to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make
the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 14 Therefore, my beloved,
flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say.
11. Sought
through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we
understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to
carry that out.
·
Colossians 3:16
·
12
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies,
kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and
forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ
forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love,
which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your
hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let
the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing
one another in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in
word or deed, do all in the
name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to
God the Father through Him.
12. Having
had a spiritual awakening, as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this
message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
·
Galatians 6:1
·
6:1 Brethren, if
a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in
a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the
law of Christ. 3
For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives
himself. 4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have
rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For each one shall bear his
own load. 6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who
teaches.
From "the Twelve
Steps -- A Spiritual Journey -- A working Guide for Adult Children from
Addictive and Other Dysfunctional Families -- based on Biblical Teachings
use. Many
churches have members who have overcome similar struggles and may be resources
to assist in creating a ministry to help others. Below is a resource
called the 12 Steps for Spiritual Study in dealing with substance abuse.