September has less than a week left but I can’t let it go by without sharing something recovery related because after all, September is National Recovery Month in the U.S.
For this year’s recognition, I thought I’d share one of my favorite, “git right down to the nuts & bolts” recovery terms – that can be traced back to Jesus’ words, as told in this encounter in Scripture. Specifically, Matthew 22:34-40: Love God, love your neighbor.
What a wonderful way of life we could have here on planet earth, if we could practice such a beautifully simple walk in every neighborhood. In every workplace. In every marketplace. In every entertainment & recreational venue. In every educational establishment. In every home.
In every heart.
In recovery speak, that looks to me like, “Trust God, clean house, help others”.
Trust God = Loving God = trusting God. The surrender of our fears, doubts, and insecurities as well as our life plans for His better way. When we love God, we believe the life we desire, and hope for others, is better left in His hands. We do what He asks and we trust His promises. We want to please God, and loving, trusting, believing Him is all tied together.
Cleaning House is like a self-inventory taking & loving ourselves enough to do the inside work of change. Once we know that God loves us unconditionally, we can uncover within our “house”, maybe years of woundedness and less than wise decisions, admit what we need to, make amends, release the hurts, and begin the healing. It’s a spiritual Spring cleaning.
Helping Others, is about loving others and doing whatever God has imprinted on our hearts that is healthy and life-giving to help them. It is a natural byproduct of a changed-by-God heart & life. It’s not a way to get to heaven – because the Bible is very clear that it can’t be earned by anyone – we are saved because of what Jesus did, we are Heaven bound by grace through faith therefore, it is naturally what we do, out of a gratefully changed heart and life. For people new to codependency recovery, it can be confusing to know how to help someone without actually enabling them. This is where mentorship is vital. It is wise to choose a safe person who has walked the path before us and can be a resource, helping us navigate the recovery process.
But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.””
Matthew 22:34-40 NLT
So, where are you at in the process today? 💜
https://www.bible.com/bible/116/mat.22.34-40.nlt
Journal of a Warrior's Journey 