New Beginnings - Road to Recovery

Introduction

We’re all jacked up.

The first step to R.E.C.O.V.E.R.Y: (Acrostic)

Realize that I’m NOT GOD; I admit I’m powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and my life is unmanageable.

“I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I can’t! I do what I don’t want to—what I hate! I know perfectly well what I’m doing is wrong … but I can’t help myself! It is sin inside me that is stronger than I am that makes me do these evil things.” Romans 7:15–17 (TTLB)

I. THE CAUSE OF MY PROBLEM: I WANT TO BE GOD

How we “play” God: Satan said: “I will be LIKE God…”

By denying our HUMANITY and by trying to CONTROL everything for selfish reasons.

· Our image – We front, we fake it. We’re afraid to be and show who we really are because if people really know us, they might not love us, and we’re the only we that we’ve got. (Professional church people) The problem? We hang around other people like ourselves to hide so we’re never exposed to those walking in the freedom we need!

· Other people – Spouses, parents, children, bosses, friends with: silence, lying, pretending, adapting, anger, crying, violence, flattery, sex, money, position, etc.

· Our problems – Denial, Control, Pride, Fear.

· Our pain – Medicate: depression, drugs, food, sex, relationships, (The problem? Hurting people hurt people – the cycle has to stop!)

II THE CONSEQUENCES.

1. FEAR (We hide from God and we hide from each other)

(Adam) “I was afraid because I was naked so I hid.” Gen. 3:10

2. FRUSTRATION – Control is an illusion, a safe and trouble-free life is an illusion, pain avoidance is impossible, the walls we build to keep others out only serve to keep us trapped within.

The harder you try to “try” your way out of your sin dilemma, the more frustrated and failure prone you become, until you’re caught in a cycle of trying harder, failure, shame

“It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong … something else deep within me … is at war with my mind and wins the fight and makes me slave to the sin …”

Rom. 7:21, 23 (TLB)

“My dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration.”

Ps. 32:3 (TLB)

3. FATIGUE

“My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day until I finally admitted all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them.” Ps. 32:4–5 (TLB)

4. FAILURE

“You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy to you.” Prov. 28:13 (GNB)

III. THE CURE: ADMIT MY POWERLESNESS

Admitting that I’m not God means I know I am:

powerless to change: My past, my memories, my heart.

powerless to control: Control other people – I am responsible for my actions, not theirs – here’s the sad part, it’s only our whole/healed version of ourselves that will bring the changes that we desire in our relationships, until we are whole we will continue to damage and destroy all of our relationships.

powerless to cope: With my destructive habits and behavior – will power is not enough.

“God opposes the proud but gives GRACE to the humble.” James 4:6