“A Christ-centered approach to recovery and coordinating small group meetings”
Step Seven
“Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.”
Now it is time to swing into action again. The key word in this step is humility. Humility is something most of us had very little of before entering into recovery. Self-centered fear is what fueled our addiction and shortcomings.
Self-sufficiency and self reliance are at the foundation of the things that are out of order in our lives. This concept of humility chops right at the roots of our problems and moves us toward reliance on the Lord instead of self.
Our shortcomings are those character defects that keep us from being in a right relationship with God and a right relationship with our fellow human beings. They have served to give us some short term pleasure here and there in exchange for long term problems.
Now is the time to take the step of faith required to get rid of them with a sense of expectancy that the Lord will take them away. Doing this step is moving out in faith to receive our healing. Many people don’t believe in faith healing. Here we must be willing to believe. God’s Word promises healing in response to our humility:
“If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive them their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
We also have to admit that we are without the power or ability to change our own lives and become willing to let God do for us what we could not do for ourselves. This means actually letting go of control in these specific areas that we have identified.
Even though giving this stuff up is like giving up poison that has hurt us, it still requires an amount of courage to take this step. It will help if we remember that God is all-loving and His plan for our lives is for our highest and best good. He won’t take anything away without putting something better in its place.
It would be good to plan a quiet place where we can be alone to take this step. We might want to even pray before we start that the Lord will guide and direct us as we walk through this. Then, it might be a good idea to review the list of shortcomings.
Now is a good time to get down on our knees and pray with all the earnestness and faith that we can muster. We can say whatever words we want as long as they don’t water down the intent of this step. We can pray something like:
“Dear Lord, I come to you in the name of Jesus and I admit that I have all these faults. I know that I can’t remove them myself or change my own life, but you are able to heal any problem and forgive every sin. Please forgive all these sins and take away anything from my life that is displeasing to you. Take away anything and everything that keeps me from being in a right relationship with you and others. Take away everything that acts as an obstacle of my being used as an instrument of your peace and righteousness. Deal with my life as is pleasing in your sight and I believe by faith that you will. In Jesus name. Amen.” Many of us were amazed at how our lives began to change for the better. Praise the Lord!