We Become a Product of Our Environment-Christian Addiction Help
January 26, 2010 by admin
Filed under Addictions and Life Issues
That seems to be a popular phrase…”we become a product of our environment”…and it still holds water today. For those of us that are struggling with an addiction or in recovery and battling an addiction….it is very important who we keep company with.
Start running with the winners a friend of mine had told me…how true that was….having healthy and sober friends that are navigating this life in a meaningful way is probably one of the best means of staying sober and drug free there is. Jump on their ships and enjoy the ride.
When I talk with some of the most successful people in the world and question them as to what helped them become a success..the most dominant factor was the associates they had, and if lucky enough, a winning mentor that showed them the ropes….
Start running with the winners…find some healthy successful friends that you can feed off of and it will turn your life around!!!
Here at christian help for addiction online we offer information for those that are struggling with an addiction be it an alcohol addiction, painkiller addiction, sex addiction or whatever. An addiction is an addiction, it manipulates our lives away from God and into despair. Stay well and God Bless
Why Receive Christian Premarital Counseling?
“Love is long suffering, and is kind; love has no envy, love is not boastful, love does not behave itself inappropriately, seeks not its own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil, rejoices not in injustice, but rejoices in the truth; love bears all things, believes everything, endures everything” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
These beautiful words hold us to a high standard. That is why it has been said that before marriage one ought to open our eyes wide, but afterwards keep them half closed. In order to hold up this standard, so necessary for a marriage to work, we need to choose wisely. To decide if you are ready for marriage, you need to choose someone you can trust, because distrust erodes a relationship, and so does undeserved trust. You also need to know what your responsibilities to the marriage partner are so that you can evaluate yourself realistically. These two things can be done with the help of pre-marital therapy.
Why do you need Christian pre-marital therapy? The quote above is from the Bible. The greatest book of love is the Bible. The book of Luke is considered by many to be the most beautiful book ever written. The book of Luke, as well as the gospels of Mathew, Mark, and John, tells how Jesus died to save us – the believers and now the church- from our sins. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, giving himself up for it” (Ephesians 5:25). God is the expert, par excellence, on love.
There is nothing wrong with going to a psychologist, a social worker, a professional counselor, or a psychiatrist for pre-marital and marital therapy. In fact I would encourage you because churches sometimes give only six sessions of pre-marital couple therapy, or group pre-marital therapy with non professional married couples as group leaders and this is barely just enough. Many couples who have received pre-marital therapy say that it helped them but that they wish they had received more therapy. There is so much need in the church for marital, family, addiction, and other kinds of counseling, that there is not enough pre-marital therapy. I would recommend supplementing the church’s pre-marital therapy with other pre-marital counseling.
However, Christian pre-marital counseling adds a dimension that secular therapies do not usually have. For example, the Christian counselor advises couples not to have sex before marriage. In his book on dating, Boy Meets Girl, Pastor Joshua Harris explains how a manager of a hotel for honeymooners would run out of activities for the newly married to do. This was because the now bored couples had pre-marital sex. Whereas, Joshua and his wife, who did not have sex prior to marriage, hardly left their room!
In the city where I live there is a saying among the non-believers. They say that marriage kills sex. But it is not marriage that kills sex, but pre-marital sex that kills marriage. I knew of one couple that lived together and had sex everyday before to marriage. After marriage, the wife confided, they had sex once a month. It is not worth it to ruin twenty five or more years of marital sex for one year or even less of pre-marital sex.
If you are contemplating marriage and you are living together, you must move apart and stop having sex for a time until you get married under the guidance of the pastor or Christian counselor. Physical intimacy is like a battery. It becomes charged with non sexual activities and gives off energy with sex. Do not skip that pre-marriage charging time.
When thinking about what pre-marital therapy is, people have different points of view. One woman tells how she was looking forward to marital therapy thirty years ago. “I thought that we would receive counseling courses about marital responsibility, but the entire time, the courses, which were called ‘marital counseling’, were about catechism.” She was disappointed as were many people in the course.
Decades later, now divorced, she expects that marital counseling should be about what marriage is, what people expect it to be, and what it will really be like. Dr. Wayne Mack makes a point that partners differ in expectations and should not wait until marriage to discuss these differences.
Dr. Nancy Alvarez, secular psychologist and sexologist says that some men want marriage with weekends off. That means they spend weekends drinking with their male friends as if they were single, instead of being with their wife. Obviously, that does not work out. Couples should also discuss why they are in love with one another. It has been observed that some people become happy when they hear why their betrothed wants to marry them, others become angry.
It is certainly natural for a marital counselor to talk about spiritual intimacy. In the book, “The Five Love Needs of Men and Women”, Christian marital experts Dr. Gary and Barbara Rosberg explain how there are two kinds of intimacy in marriage, physical and spiritual. Differences in religion could lead to a lack of understanding and different values. But not everything is religion.
Counselor Grisel López of El Sendero de la Cruz Christian Church in Puerto Rico explains that even in the case that the couple is of the same religion, some couples do not have compatibility of ministries. For example, if both are church leaders, and one sings in the altar and the other preaches, they are compatible. But if one is training to be a foreign missionary and the other is a pastor of a local church, then one of the two will have to give up his or her dreams for the success of the other, because they can not make both dreams come true and live together happily at the same time.
She adds that even church leaders, who know the Bible in general, still need pre-marital counseling. Some churches do not require pre-marital counseling for church leaders because the leaders know Christianity well, yet the divorce rate for Christians is about the same as for non-Christian marriages.
According to Dr. Wayne A. Mack, some of the things covered in pre-marital counseling are relations with in-laws, making a budget together, comparing differences in the way each one expresses love, good communication (a factor in most marital problems), and conflict resolution. It is important to plan ahead how you will approach problem solving, not waiting for the problems to begin and then start by seeking marital therapy. This is because there will be problems anyway so reducing their volatility will prevent bad memories that are hard to forget later.
Dr. Mack’s workbook, “Preparing for Marriage God’s Way”, can be used both in addition to marital therapy, (or independently, for those persons who live in areas where there is little availability of Christian pre-marital therapy). Two copies of the workbook are used. Each member of the couple reads and fills out the answers individually. Then the couple meet and discus their answers together. Mack suggests they can make note of significant differences and seek therapy for those issues as well.
Pre-marital counseling can be fun also. You get to take personality tests with your betrothed, learning more about each other in the process. Or it could lead to more deeper and interesting conversations to talk with your loved one. Some people think they already know each other well. But even people who have been married twenty years face surprises.
You should also find out some of your betrothed’s faults in the process. There may be faults that you understand about, this is called unconditional love. But there could also be faults that you do not tolerate. Some things are not negotiable like giving little importance to fidelity. Others might not matter to one husband, for example, that his future wife likes a relaxed style of housekeeping, as long as she is a business woman, but it could matter a lot to another man.
Counselor Grisel López teaches that the best way to find your ideal love is to tell the truth about how you are so you can find someone who will be happy with you instead of turned off. If you do not reveal your faults you will not know if it is safe to relax your guard with your betrothed and find the joy of being loved as you are.
Wilma Melendez has been a Christian for 18 years and attends El Sendero de la Cruz Church in Puerto Rico. Have you ever wished you could talk to God and be heard? Check out her home page How to Pray
Christian drug treatment
When considering Christian drug treatment, a person may not know quite what to expect. Essentially, there is little difference between Christian and non-Christian drug treatment, in terms of basic program structure. Both will offer counseling, treatment, therapy, life skills education, aftercare, and possibly even detoxification to rid the body of residual toxins accumulated during the course of the addiction.
There will be some differences, however, in philosophy and treatment approaches. Christian drug treatment will integrate traditional Christian values like forgiveness, humility, and dedication. Self-reliance will be minimized and reliance on God will be emphasized. Traditional Christianity emphasizes Jesus as the path to salvation and forgiveness, and that theme will continue throughout Christian drug treatment.
For the person who values Christian principles and the Christian faith, Christian drug treatment is a terrific option because it surrounds the recovering addict with like-minded people. This can be tremendously supportive in keeping a person focused on their goals and making the right choices during and after treatment. Dependence on God also relieves a lot of the self-imposed pressure and self-reliance that recovering addicts are prone to.
Christian drug treatment is not for everyone, but can provide a lot of advantages for those who wish to pursue it. It can help a person discover Christianity for the first time, or renew their commitment to the faith. Ultimately, commitment to that faith can help a person stay on track longer and experience a more successful recovery and a healthier, happier life.
Additionally, the intensive Self-Discovery and Inventory part of our Christian Drug Treatment helps the client uncover, and discover, which has become an obstacle in the path of their spiritual walk. When the program is successful, these obstacles have been discarded while their faith has been strengthened. Therefore the client has a means to remain clean and sober after recovery has been completed.
Christian Recovery; Live for Jesus, and Never Take Another Drink
Jesus never wishes for us the pains of addiction and of spiritual despair, and He gave us a great reference book for life in the bible. If we follow God’s word, and act as He wishes, we never need suffer through the pains of alcoholism or drug addiction.
Yet even after we do terrible things in midst of an addiction, even after we abandon His love and His message, He forgives us, and when we can take no more of the pain of a life far from Jesus, He is ready for us, and He will show us how to get better.
An addiction is a disease of both the spirit and of the body. A disease of the spirit that occurs as we show spiritual conceit, thinking we know better for our lives than Christ. Yet it is also a disease of the body, and it must also receive physical tending. When recovering from addiction, we cannot ignore either parts of our whole, and if we do, we cannot hope for lasting recovery.
Conventional rehab doesn’t offer enough
A lot of very smart people work diligently on the science of recovery, and even those well off people who recover in the finest of treatment centers, receiving the finest of medical and clinical care, don’t often get better. It is important to treat the physical side of addiction, but conventional rehab relapse rates show us quite clearly that we ignore God at our peril.
We get ourselves into trouble thinking we can live our lives far from Jesus, but He forgives us, and we cannot solve our spiritual despair without His help.
Why Christian recovery
In Christian recovery, we get better holistically; we take what’s great and proven effective from secular rehabs and incorporate them into a program that also tends to our spiritual needs. We do need medications and therapy, but we also need prayer and bible study, and not one without the other.
We share our stories with other Christians also in recovery, and we study and pray together for a better understanding of God’s will, and for the strength to overcome our worldly conceits, and live a life as Jesus wishes.
Working together with Christian counselors, we dig deep into the self deceptions that take us farther from Christ and learn how we can use the power of prayer, the message of the bible, and God’s love and strength to keep us from temptation always.
A small price to pay
Recovery from addiction is never easy, but with the help of Jesus you never need to take another drink, and you never again need to feel the lows of a separation from Christ.
Jesus wants you to be happy, and all He asks is that you live a Christian life. A small price to pay for a rewarding life…and a heavenly reward!
Jesus can help, learn more about Christian Recovery
Read the daily addiction blog The Christian 12 Steps
Addiction; When We Think That God Won’t Love Us We Presume Too Much
When we lose our way and when we substitute the real pleasures of good living for the false and transient ecstasy of intoxication, we do a lot of things we’re not proud of, and we do a lot of things that Jesus would never wish us to do.
Only through Christian living can we find peace and happiness, and only through Christian service to others and for God can we fall asleep easy every night, knowing we do all we can for ourselves and for our Lord. Yet even when we lose our way, and even when we commit terrible sins, Jesus forgives us, His help and His power is only a prayer away.
It’s easy to start to feel that we are not worthy of God’s eternal compassion, and when we sink ever lower into the despair of addiction we too often start to feel worthless, worthless to ourselves, to our families, and even worthless to our God.
Spiritual conceit gets us into wrong behaviors, and even wrong thoughts; spiritual conceit takes us into pain and addiction, and it also fools us into thinking we are no longer worthy of God’s help and compassion.
But who are we to question God’s word. Jesus says he will forgive us, He will help us, and He does love us; always. Spiritual conceit gets us into trouble, and only through better living by the words of the bible can we get past our internal deception and turmoil, and again realize that Jesus has always been there for us, and that He has a plan for our lives; if we will only accept His Love and His strength into our hearts.
Christian Drug rehab
We do not need a church or minister to feel God’s love and live for him, and all that needs to be said was written in the only book of real worth; but there is something incredibly therapeutic and soul salving about the communal power of prayer. As Christians in despair we look to other Christians for assistance, and through the help of other Christians we again come to understand God’s plan and wish for our lives, and once again emerge from spiritual conceit and into a better living for God.
If you have a drug or alcohol abuse problem or addiction, you cannot get better on your own, and to think that you can is simply more of the same spiritual conceit that got you into trouble in the first place.
You need to pray, you need to pray to the Lord to help you overcome your weaknesses. You need to ask for the strength to overcome those bad habits that pull at you, and plead for a better understanding of his message towards a better Christian life.
If you have a drug problem, consider a Christian Rehab. All you need to know about recovery is contained within the bible, and through group study, group prayer, and even private Christian counseling, you can come to a better understanding of what led you into pain, and the steps you need to take to ensure you never again walk that path back to despair.
You can get better, Jesus forgives you, you are worthy of help. Work the Christian 12 steps to sobriety today, and start enjoying a better Christian life tomorrow.
Learn more about Christian Recovery
Read the daily addiction blog Troubleblog God
Christian Treatment
Almost 20 million people are addicted to drugs and alcohol. Approximately 135,000 people die each year as a consequence of drugs and alcohol and a whooping 80% of all crime in the United States is related to drug and alcohol addiction. The above figures are more than a reason to understand how crucial it is to treat drug and alcohol addicts.A unique and special way to heal drug and alcohol addiction is through Christian drug and alcohol treatment which has become prevalent in recent times. Christian drug and alcohol treatment gets the victims closer to God which helps them to recover. Christianity and the teachings of Jesus Christ are used to heal the victims of drug and alcohol addiction.
Why adapt the Christian Treatment? How is it better than other drug abuse treatments?
In the words of Romans,” The truth of God is not known to all instinctively. God has embedded knowledge into the hearts of everyone. The material things such as earth, sky and water are visible to the human beings, but what we cannot see is the divine and eternal power of God which makes him undeniable”.
Here it deserves mention that the Christian drug and alcohol treatment is a special kind of treatment for victims of drug and alcohol addiction which uses the preaching of the Lord to help the patients recover. The drug abuse treatments they offer help individuals transform from active drug and alcohol abuse to leading a clean, sober, and successful life.
Christian drug and alcohol treatment doesn’t merely involve praying to recover, but involves a team of highly qualified professionals in the field of drug abuse treatment who resort to various techniques both spiritual and religious to help heal a menace like drug and alcohol addiction.
We all know about the power of God towards restoration and healing. Jesus Christ is believed to have brought back life to the dead and cure many wounded and sick people of their pain and illness. So what better way than to take up the teachings of Christianity to cure victims of alcohol and drug abuse?
Christian treatment involves unique programs which incorporate spirituality into one’s heart through its mode of treatment. As the approach is based on faith it creates an atmosphere of compassion and support that help in the restoration and healing of the victim.
Pastoral way of counseling, the services in the chapel, and the everyday readings of devotion is a part and parcel of the Christian treatment. These programs start the process of renewal within an individual and guide him or her to a better life. The success of Christian treatment is evident by looking at the increase in the people preferring this treatment.
Christian drug and alcohol treatment focuses on the healing of the mind, body, and spirit through the teachings and practices of Jesus Christ. The best part about these treatment centers is their warm and comfortable set up. The homelike atmosphere provided by these centers help the victims recover much faster and also help them calm their feelings of fear and neglect. A combination of the 12 step healing process with teachings from Christianity is employed to help cure drug and alcohol addicts.
The Christian treatmentconducted helps the victims to be cured in a religious and spiritual way. The personal counseling and other programs conducted as a part of this treatment process helps the victims not only recover from their addictions but also to emerge as a wonderful and caring person and help them lead a spiritual, sober and peaceful life.
Alcoholic? Then God Has The Answer
January 5, 2010 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Here is a great article by Christian Shire. An interesting aspect is that as christians,we truly believe that we are “forgiven” for our sins and mistakes. That’s what makes a christian recovery program so special. The individual doesn’t have to wallow in some sense of false guilt or shame. Mistakes were made, and we move on! Forgiven by Christ. Other people might not ever forgive us in this world, but you know what, that’s ok. The main goal is to know that “God” forgives us, and thats all that really matters. Here at Christian Help For Addiction Online, we hope to provide our readers with up to date articles on addictions, addiction help online, and additional resources that are geared toward recovery. Enjoy the article.
Problems of the flesh have worldly causes but spiritual solutions. Although we get ourselves into trouble with our drinking or drug taking behaviors, we too often cannot get ourselves out of these difficulties. Only through an understanding and admission of our spiritual conceit, and by turning our will and our hearts to the Lord for guidance, can we relearn what has always been needed for a good, honest and righteous life.
Jesus forgives us
Through thinking we are above the laws of God we spend too much time away from our families, and in places and with people where Jesus Christ, who walks with us always, should never be forced to endure. Yet even after we have subjected our Savior to our misdeeds our willfulness and our abandonment of His Message, He will always take us back in, show us the way forward, and give us the strength of a better life of sobriety; all we have to do is ask.
Although addiction comes from a worldly conceit, we can only better our abuses through turning our eyes upwards and seeking the guidance of Jesus Christ, and we do this best through prayer, through a study of the scriptures and through an honest, meditative and soul searching admission of our faults.
We cannot do it without His help, this much we have proven all too well, and we must open our hearts to his message and seek His will to direct our lives away from harmful drinking or drug taking, and back towards the bosom of the church, to family love and to a life of service for God, and by extension for self.
Ask for His guidance
You need no other person, no place, and even no Church to hear God’s message and feel his love, but because we value the fellowship of other Christians, appreciate the insights they can bring to our understanding of the Lord and the path we must walk for Him; we benefit greatly through a shared process of recovery within the fellowship of a Christian recovery organization.
Working the Christian 12 steps in group meetings or in a residential Christian rehab, we pray as individuals but also collectively, and feel God’s power as a group, asking His help in recovery from addiction and abuse. We study the bible together, learning the messages of the scripture as they pertain to the problems of the flesh, and we understand that Jesus Christ understands our weaknesses, forgives us for them, and has already given us a powerful book of recovery advice in the bible.
Because we are weak and we are flawed; we must admit to our shortcomings and plead with our God to remove these shortcomings so we can better serve Him in His purpose for us. But because we are imperfect, it can be very difficult to know how we can best live our lives for God. Working together with a Christian therapist, we dissect those feelings that lead us away from the teachings of the Lord, and talk about better ways to live our lives as God wishes. Although we pray for strength we also suffer temptation, and so we also discuss together how best to walk away from harmful behaviors, and into righteous acts.
Christians need a spiritual solution to problems of the flesh, and although we create the problems in our lives, only God can show us how to fix them. Listen to His word; He has the answers for your pain. If you need help with addiction, find a place offering the Christian 12 steps to recovery, and open your heart and mind to God’s will; and start getting better.
Read more on your therapeutic options at Drug Treatment
Read the daily recovery and addiction blog Drug Rehab blog
We hope you enjoyed te article, as it sheds some new light on the topic, and at the same time, reinforces some well know beliefs.
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Christian Addiction Recovery-Renewing Your Mind
January 5, 2010 by admin
Filed under Christian Addiction Help
Here is a great article from Truby Johnson who discusses how renewing our minds is an important aspect in recovery. At Christian Help For Addiction Online we not only see Christ as our “higher power”, but as our support system through difficult times. God didn’t create any zeroes, and we are all special in his eyes. Reach out to God for healing and pray for strength. Christian addiction help online will provide our readers with updated information on a timely basis
Every year people attempt to break their addictions using different methods. The challenge to overcome any addiction is a process, but many people are focusing on the wrong thing. In this article we will discuss the first thing you must do in order to crush your addictions for good.
The first thing you must do is renew your mind. Just because you are captured by an addiction, doesn’t mean that you are that person. To put it another way, because you may have been captured by alcohol doesn’t necessarily mean that you are an alcoholic.
I realize that the first thing that alcohol anonymous tells you to do is to state your name and announce that you are this or that. You are not who you say that you are. This is not a play on words! I mean, especially if you are a child of God, you are who God says that you are, who happens to be captured by whatever it may be.
This is not to release you of your responsibilities, but to claim who you really are. Too many people accept that they are what they do. Of course if you are involved in something for years, then you and whatever it may be can become so entangled that you can not tell one from the other. But an addiction can be much different than that.
Most people with an addiction do not want to remain that way. But the addiction has such a hold on them, they can’t seem to escape it. Like quicksand, the more you kick and twist, the greater your chance of defeat. Because you are captured doesn’t mean that this is who you are.
TIP – When you change your mind set of who you are, then you can begin to plan your way of escape. You are not necessarily what you do.
Your mind set is the answer to your break through. When you say that you are who God says you are, then you are free to claim your freedom from that addiction. Until you agree with who God says that you are, and denounce your addiction behavior, you will never break free.
People proclaim everyday that they are an alcoholic, drug addict, gambler, glutton, or etc. and wonder why they remain captured. You are contradicting who God has already declared you to be. Agree with God and change your situation today.
HINT – Do you realize that you can be a prisoner or a slave in your mind even though you have been set free?
This mind set is your first step to freedom. When you begin to renew your mind, you can change any habits, addictions, strongholds,etc. Remember, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” You can change beginning today.
Here is a great article from Truby Johnson that discusses how are mindset is very important in recovery. Knowing who you are in Christ is extremely important. God didn’t create any “zeroes”, and he sees each and every one of us as part of his special creation. True, this doesn’t alleviate the difficult times and struggles, but we gain a snbese of hope that there truly is a higher power than can heal us.
Here at Christian Help For Addiction, we pray that you gain an inner strength to deal with any difficulties you might be struggling with. Christian addiction help online is unique, in that it focuses not only in God as our “higher power”, but as our support system and compass to guide us through these difficult times. Enjoy the article.
In summary this process may seem simple, but you will soon realize that you have trained yourself to think in a lot of negative ways. So many people try twelve steps to this, or ten steps to that, but if you do not start with the renewing of your mind, then you will remain the same. This is the time to make that change.
Gambling Addiction
December 22, 2009 by admin
Filed under Gambling Addictions
Most people look at avid gamblers and think that they just like the entertainment. However, it is just like anything else. Too much of it can literally destroy your life. I think most people are unaware of the fact that gambling can be an addiction that is very similar to a drug. The vast majority of people suffering from gambling addiction find the transition from recreational fun to addict to be very fuzzy. They do not understand exactly when it became a true problem for them. However, in this article I want to make it clear about what a gambling addiction looks like so that you can self-evaluate to see whether you have a significant problem or not.
Symptom #1: You need to be secretive
When you get to the point that you have to lie about how much you are gambling, you know that it is probably too much. Obviously, not telling people you don’t know well might be one thing, but hiding it from others who are close to you is entirely different. An addict will often lie to even people that are close to them.
Symptom #2: You are having trouble setting your boundaries
A recreational gambler can go into a casino with a $20 bill and ensure that they do not spend more than that. Someone with an addiction though will go in with the mind of only spending that $20 bill but in the end they find themselves at an ATM or using a credit card.
Symptom #3: Gambling even if you don’t have the money
Most Americans live paycheck to paycheck. This means that not everyone has extra money left over after they pay the bills and buy groceries. If you are using credit cards or funding your gambling with loans then you likely have a gambling issue. This is an extreme red flag that you could be addicted.
Symptom #4: Friends and family are concerned about you
Obviously the above three symptoms are subjective. Someone who is truly addicted would look at those symptoms and perhaps make excuses for themselves about why they are not truly addicted. They might believe that just because they borrowed money doesn’t mean they are addicted. Or perhaps just because they spend a little more money than they had planned every time, that’s like going to a car dealership and never buying a car. Eventually you will. This situation is quite different though! Knowing that family and friends are concerned is a good indication that they have seen that you gamble to much to be considered just a recreational gambler.
The biggest concern isn’t want our family and friends think though. It is our walk with Jesus Christ that is the biggest concern. Most addicts find themselves in a situation where Money or Gambling itself has become a bigger focus than God himself. Therefore, even though the bible doesn’t directly mention gambling as a sin, having an addiction or passion that sits in our heart in the place of where God should sit is a sin.
Christian Help For Addiction, Addiction Help, Addiction Help Online, Gambling Addiction, Drug Addiction, Alcohol Addiction.
Food for the Spirit: The God Diet
Here is a wonderful article by Sharon S. Roy
Having a daily diet of God in our lives well help ease life’s struggles, and give us an additional means of support. Here at Christian Help for Addiction Onine we hope to provide our readers with up to date articles on addictions and gett addiction help online. Christian Addiction Help is unque, in that it relies on God as our higher power. Enjoy the article.
Does the mention of God make you a bit nervous? And does that remain true even as you seek more spiritual connection in your life? This paradox defined my own journey for many years. Religion turned me off — the more people talked about it, the more I shut down. Many who practiced some form of organized religion didn’t walk the talk and I figured I didn’t need whatever they were offering anyway; I was smart enough to handle life on my own. Because they weren’t perfect spokespeople for God, I minimized his role in my life.
A miracle happened when a beautiful woman named Barbara told me God doesn’t like religion either; he likes relationships. That made me curious. As I stopped letting humans speak for God and took responsibility for getting my own information, my ignorance and judgment fell away. I began to pursue God and immediately saw that he had first pursued me. Many of my struggles and adverse circumstances over the years were the times God was knocking. Knock, knock, knock. Hey, Sharon! Need some help? In my mind’s eye, I see myself lifting my arm in a dismissive, arrogant wave and replying, No thanks, I got it!
I know that many people still feel that way. As a life coach, I began to search for a fresh way to talk about God so I could share the power of knowing him with my clients. I also wanted a simple plan of action. How does someone get to know God anyway? The steps I took to reach out to God grew organically from a very messy time in my life. My way worked for me, but it didn’t seem very easy to replicate
Recently, I was introduced to Adam Jablin, a successful Florida businessman and recovering addict, who allowed God to help him in his recovery from addiction. Adam now bravely speaks and writes about his experiences. Not being a big fan of small talk, I immediately started asking him deeply personal questions about the role of faith in his recovery. Amazingly, he answered me, a complete stranger, with refreshing, ego-free frankness.
“For me, it’s a constant letting go, a surrendering,” Adam said. “My faith started with a belief that if I go to meetings, find a sponsor, work the 12-steps, and be of service, then I will stay sober. It built from there. When I prayed for something, miracles happened and I noticed that every time I let go, God did all the work! Before I knew it, my faith was about much more than just staying sober. God helps me to accomplish all my dreams, and then some. I am a co-creator.”
Since Adam had confessed that he hadn’t always been a fan of religion, I asked about the words someone used to first open his mind to the idea of a powerful, personal relationship with God. Adam sent me the following excerpt from his book, Confessions of a Lotsaholic, describing a meeting with the spiritual advisor at the rehab center he went to.
I felt drawn to Father Ron immediately. As I entered his office, he shook my hand and grasped my arm. After a time of getting acquainted, he said, “Adam. Do you see that mark I left on your arm?” I stared at my arm looking for ink or markings of some sort.
“No, Father. I don’t.”
“Please look again…look deeper.”
I stared at my arm seeing absolutely nothing. “Sorry. I see nothing.”“Adam, I am going to begin to open your eyes now, so you may actually see God.”
NO WAY! Whoa. See God?
“I did leave a mark on your arm there. I left my fingerprints, and even though you do not see them, they are there. If we had a UV light we could easily spot them on your arm, and all over this room,” he said. “It’s the same way with the Higher Power you and I refer to as God. Even though you cannot see him, he is there, son. You have to…are you ready?” he paused, “Trust. You have to trust that he is always with you, around you, inside of you … and in everything this Universe offers.”That moment changed my life forever. In my entire life, except for my daughter’s birth, I had never felt so connected and aware of a power greater than myself. I had also never been so conscious of that same power inside of me. My body and mind stayed in the room with Father Ron while my spirit opened its arms and welcomed in the light.
“Let’s begin with prayer. First off, God knows you, Adam. He is you. He is inside you, so you may speak to him any way you want. I see your strong muscles. I bet you eat a healthy diet. Three square meals a day?”
“More like seven.”
“Perfect,” Father Ron said. “Now, the way you got those muscles is exactly how we are going to get you more spiritually aware of God. I want you to have three meals a day of prayer to get this connection big and strong like your body.
Father Ron went on to create a spiritual diet for Adam that was complete and accessible. Here at last were some steps to God I could share.
Spiritual Breakfast
Thank God. Be as specific as you can. Like a good thank you note, let God know what you are grateful for and why; let him know how his gifts make you feel. If you can’t think of anything to be grateful for, be glad for the air he gives you to breathe. Think of where you’d be without it. Feel the gratitude seep into your bones as you talk to God and find more things to be grateful for. Now offer to share yourself. Say something like, “God, you’ve given me so much. How can I help others?” Seek opportunities to be God’s hands on earth today.
Spiritual Lunch
Look for God. He is all around you and in you. If you aren’t seeing him, it’s because you aren’t looking. Be observant. Look in nature. Look in inspirational literature. Dive into the beautiful mysteries and truths of the Bible. Look for God in other people. See God’s work in acts of kindness and create some of your own.
Spiritual Dinner
Thank God. Find three reasons to be grateful. He may not have given you all that you wanted today, but he gave you all you need. He always does. Be grateful for all of the good that you are. Ask for forgiveness where you might have fallen short. Forgive yourself. Forgive those who have hurt or offended you. Let it all go. Ask for blessings and protection for your loved ones.
These steps are simple and only take a few moments a day. Simple, but not easy. Like any new habit, it will require focus and discipline to make God a part of your life. It’s supposed to be that way; God wants us to stay focused on him even as the world tries to distract us in a multitude of ways. You always have free will to make a choice: Will today be a day of living toward God or away from him? Try both and see which you prefer.
As you begin to reap the benefits God has in store for you, you will want to talk to him longer, more often, and in your own way. There is no way to do this wrong for God knows your heart and he knows what you need. He has always been there for you. The moments of prayer are more for your own discovery than his. Follow your intuition to make your relationship with God personal and true for you.
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Inspired by Adam Jablin, author of Confessions of a Lotsaholic (soon to be published) (c) Copyright – Sharon S. Roy. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. If you would like to talk to someone about your spiritual journey or how God can help your recovery from addiction, you can find Sharon Roy at http:http://www.succeedhappily.com — Sharon is a Certified Life Coach specializing in helping alcoholics, addicts, and those who love them most create strategies for spiritual healing. Adam Jablin can be reached by writing to 6100 Park of Commerce Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33487 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharon_S._Roy |

