Refer to Step 10: I choose to believe God still has a purpose for my life—a purpose for good and not evil.
Joy is prayer—Joy is strength—Joy is love—Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.
—Mother Teresa
Regardless of the type of recovery a person is in, whether it’s for alcoholism, gambling, drugs, overeating, sexual compulsivity, or another addiction; there are some similarities between each of them. One common element concerns the purpose for a person’s recovery—learning how to live life on life’s terms, one day at a time.
That’s why millions pray each day, asking God to know His will for them and the power to carry it out. For those who are recovering from spiritual abuse, it’s the same thing. Your purpose is to know God’s will for your life and to have the power to carry it out.
In evangelical Christianity, in particular, believers are told their purpose is to “save the lost,” which is the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Because it was the last statement Christ made earth, it has been a significant part of Christianity ever since.
But, what exactly did it mean? It’s not “saving the lost,” but “discipling the nations’,” which is an entirely different thing. The difference between the two is considerable, especially for people like us. It means that it’s our responsibility—those of us in recovery—to help others who have been used, abused, and discarded, just like we have been helped.
If the primary purpose of the Great Commission is to witness to the lost, then few will do it. For people who have been abused, witnessing to strangers is particularly unappealing. If, on the other hand, it’s God’s purpose for us to help someone who has been wounded—just like we have been—then that’s a much more attractive proposition.
How many people do you know who have had negative experiences with Christianity—five, ten, fifty, or perhaps hundreds? Helping them in their recovery process, which most would welcome, doesn’t feel like such a difficult assignment—not like witnessing to strangers, anyway. Best of all, while you’re doing it, you can be exactly who you are. You don’t have to pretend, which never works anyway.
Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. (II Corinthians 5:17-18)
I read this earlier this morning and have been thinking about it today. It is this sentence that really speaks to my heart today.
“Best of all, while you’re doing it, you can be exactly who you are. You don’t have to pretend, which never works anyway.” This sentence is the hope I find in the wisdom you have shared here. My joy is the be known and to be totally loved just as I am but I find lots of people fall way short of being able to deliver on this hope I have. Like them I fall short too.
As my faith and knowledge of how God loves me “just as I am” grows the roots of my true being penetrate the things God and I find I can extend that same quality of love to people in my domain and hold my ground when I come under attack. I like being able to do that.
Thanks for sharing Jack.