Step 1: Powerless

Each week there are two parts to our weekly meetings: there is a discussion of our current Step (and we are on Step 1 this week), then an advanced topic relating to Steps 10-12.

Step 1

What it means to be Powerless

It means that everything you do to stop your addiction or resentment doesn’t work, at least not for long.  It means that anything you attempt to do to overcome your addictions or resentments won’t work either.

Why are you powerless?

There are several reasons, here are the biggest ones…

First, you are powerless because recovery is NOT about changing your situation.  That is where most people put all of their effort…into changing their situation.  True and lasting recovery is about changing how you THINK.  The problem is that your thinking is faulty.  What you’ve learned and practiced in the past led you into addiction / resentment.  You’ve been deceived, led into a false understanding of reality, of your situation, of your relationships, and even of yourself.  Any attempt YOU make to change any of that is based upon that false reality and uses flawed thought processes.  It’s like me trying to repair the computer in my car or perform brain surgery…I don’t have the right information, skills, or understanding to be able to do any of that so my attempts will fail (and be disastrous for the car or the poor patient!).

God says it like this in 1 Corinthians 3:18-21, “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.’  Therefore let no one boast in men” (including yourself).

The second reason you are powerless over addictions and resentments is because you have an enemy (Satan) who hates you and is a master of deception and lies.  Here is some truth from God’s Word about your enemy: Genesis 3 describes “the Fall” of mankind where Satan twisted what God said, cause Eve to doubt it, and then flat-out lied about what God said.  That lie, mixed with a little bit of truth deceived her and sin entered the world.  He uses the same plan of attack on you.  In 1 Peter 5:8-11 we are told that then enemy is roaming about like a roaring lion seeking to destroy anyone he can, including you.  In 2 Corinthians 11:12-15 we see that the great liar comes as an angel of light.  Your enemy doesn’t come looking or acting like an enemy, but as someone / something that is good, helpful, fun, etc.  He deceives you, gets his hooks into you, then starts to work his destruction and hate upon you.  In John 8:42-47 Jesus called it exactly as it is, telling us that Satan is the father of lies.  Why are we talking about Satan?  Because he is real and you are in a battle against him.  That is a fight you cannot win on your own.  The enemy deceives you and corrupts your way of thinking.  He hates you and wants to destroy you. 

BUT, God is greater than he who is in the world!  Jesus has already defeated sin and death, the tools Satan uses.  Jesus breaks the power of the enemy over you when you trust and submit to Jesus, who is God the Son.  As you spend time with Him and His Word (the Bible), He begins to replace that old corrupted thinking with His perfect wisdom and understanding. 

How do you overcome being powerless?

1.   Submit to God…yield to His Truth, give yourself to Him

2.   reach out to the Light, Jesus Christ

Through faith in Him you will be forgiven, the enemy’s power over you will be broken, you will be given the Holy Spirit who will teach you truth when you read the Bible.  By knowing the Truth, you will be able to recognize the enemy’s deceptions.  The Spirit will watch over you, guide you, comfort you, and help you stand.

Step 10-12 Topic – Listening

I hope that after the last topic you aren’t having trouble listening now.  Many of us have gotten into trouble by talking too much.  Many of us have been quickly offended by what someone else said.  The dude that came up with “sticks and stones will break my bones but name will never hurt me,” was greatly deceived.  Words hurt.  Our words, and the words of others often get us headed into addiction and resentment, aiding our own poor decisions and faulty understanding of reality.  Statements like, “come on, this is fun, it’ll help you relax and forget that problem,” or “you’ll never amount to anything, why couldn’t you be more like your sister,” or “if only I looked like her”…(that model who’s livelihood is to be thin, with a host of professional makeup and airbrush artists constantly tending to her, fixing every flaw).  Last week we read James 1:12-18.  This week it’s James 1:19-20, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”  In the context of enduring (holding out from, not caving to) temptation, recognizing that good things are from God, who is Light, and never changes, and that because of His love for us, He redeems us from sin and death (when we submit to Christ), we find that we avoid much trouble by being swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.

Swift to hear:

You don’t have to do what society has hammered into you (some of that false reality).  You don’t have to make sure everyone knows your every opinion on everything.  Just be quiet and listen to people sometimes!  Don’t jump to conclusions about what they are going to say.  Don’t nod and be thinking about what you’re going to say next.  Listen to them.  If we all did this, there would be fewer runaways, friendships would last a lifetime, and there would be much less divorce.

Be slow to speak:

Don’t react hastily like a wild dog.  Instead think, pray and then respond.  Don’t speak your mind…it’s full of partial truth and twisted reality!  If things start to get heated, stop the conversation if necessary and if you can so that you and the other people involved can cool down.

Be slow to anger:

Good grief, we just want to rip people to shreds, demand our way, and crucify people for even the slightest injustice, whether intentional or not.  How about giving someone the benefit of the doubt or a little bit of grace.  That is exactly what you want when you make a mistake or choose poorly, right?  You want to take words back sometimes…so do people you talk to!  There are things you wish you hadn’t of done…the same it true of others!  Give people some grace.

That may sound good (or maybe you think it’s stupid), either way, want to know why you won’t do it?  Because on your own you are powerless to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to be angry.  Those things are not who we are, they are foolishness to us.  What makes sense to us is demanding our way and having resentment anytime we don’t get it.  It is only thru the Spirit that  you can be quick to hear, slow speak, and slow to anger.  The Spirit gives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23)  It is only possible thru the Holy Spirit…learn to listen to Him.