You should follow the steps, stay on course, and take it one day at a time. Remember that you’re not alone. For recovering addicts, these guidelines are not new. They have heard them time and time again, and they define our recovery and who we’re now. The further we go through our addiction recovery, the more we realize the strength and power of the addiction recovery program. As addicts, we have no choice but to rely on the recovery program because we know we can’t be clean alone. In fact, the recovery steps also offer life coaching in addiction treatment.
We can examine if the recovery programs are biblical and if they take the place of God, or do they walk side-by-side with God by comparing the recovery steps with the Word of God. On the one hand, each specific step of a recovery program can easily be justified in scripture. The beginning of any recovery program starts with the admission that we are powerless over our addiction, just as I Corinthians reminds us that we’re powerless to help ourselves and should put everything into the hands of God. As you move through any of the addiction treatment programs, their roots can be found in testaments. From being reminded to humbly seek God to remove our character defects and shortcomings to asking forgiveness from those we have harmed, when we focus on scripture as we move through recovery.
Likewise, on the other hand, most recovery programs have their roots in the higher power and can deviate from the word of God. The first example of this is the simple definition of God in a recovery program. For those in the program, God is the higher power they need it to be; for those steeped in the Word, God is not just a higher power. He is the Father, the Creator, and the one true God. Additionally, it is a beneficial necessity to claim your confession as an individual with an addiction. As an addict, you have harmed others as well as yourself. Without acknowledging that damage, you cannot heal. However, an individual confessing to God and seeking His forgiveness has to recognize not only his sin but also the desperate need for a Savior.
The reality is that a recovery program on its own is not scriptural. What makes it scriptural is you. The Bible is clear that everything is about the relationship. It’s about you turning from your sinful nature and relying on the power of your Father to guide and lead you. If you are relying solely on your addiction recovery program, even if you acknowledge the need for a higher power, but not on your relationship with God, your recovery program is not steeped in the Word. However, when you recognize your confession of addiction goes beyond acknowledging the wrong you have committed against others, but against God as well, and when you realize your daily meditation for strength is building your true relationship with God, your addiction recovery has moved from steps and simple to scriptural and extraordinary.
