“A Christ-centered approach to recovery and coordinating small group meetings”
Step Twelve
“Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all of our affairs.”
Having had a spiritual awakening means that we have come into a relationship with the Lord. We have worked these steps and have come to the end of ourselves. God has responded to us by causing Jesus to indwell our lives through the person of the Holy Spirit.
We have been given a new beginning and a new life. God who was with us is now in us. We are yielded to Him and His power, wisdom and love are flowing through us. We have a message to carry to others because we have a personal testimony of God’s redeeming grace.
The Lord has set us free from the obsession of our life-controlling problems. We are armed with the information of what works in people being set free from whatever bondage they are caught up in. We can point the way to recovery because it is a path that we have walked.
Those things in our past over which we had regrets are now our assets as we reach out to others who suffer from the same problems that we did. Our biggest problems now serve as our biggest tools in giving others understanding, love and hope.
We no longer have to hang our head in shame because of the way we led our lives. We are not the same as we used to be. We are different people. We can even look at our worst sin and shortcomings and see how God is using them for good in service to our fellows.
We are able to rejoice in the promise that the Lord made, “to restore the years the canker worm had eaten.” Now we can see more clearly what the Lord meant when He had Apostle Paul pen:
“And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Part of our recovery is helping others. It gives us an opportunity to give away what we have received. When we do this in an attitude of unconditional love, we are the ones who receive the biggest blessing.
Many of us thought that we were insignificant and that our lives had no purpose or meaning before being involved in recovery. Now we find that we are equipped to help others in matters that concern life and death. We have been given the gift of light to lead others out of darkness. We now have the gift of life to share with those who are not yet alive.
Amazingly, God’s power flowing through us is making eternal impact on the part of the world that our lives touch. When people are in real trouble they come to us for the answers. Where some of us used to be a burden to society, we are now asset to our communities.
As we continue to help others, it helps us to keep from slipping back into our self-centered mode of living. The Lord puts the people before us that we are perfectly equipped to help. The thing that we see wrong in their lives, helps us to understand areas in our own lives that still need work.
To practice these principles in all our affairs means to work all of the steps in every area of our lives. It means that we apply all these spiritual tools in working out our relationships with others – that we can be in communion with the Lord – in partnership with Him, in all that we do!
Back to the Steps to work on the Traditions!
“You aren’t done, the only time we flunk-out is when we think we have graduated! If you think you’re green you’ll grow – if you think you’re ripe you’ll rot!”