Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matt. 11:28-29 NLT)
When we were in our addiction we didn’t take care of ourselves and now we need to get healthy and emotionally strong. Some of us have diseases and wounds that still need healing. Some are suffering from poor eating habits and need proper nutrition. Our minds are confused and we feel worn out. Our emotions are ultra-sensitive. The task of detoxing helps us deal with enough of these conditions so we can begin to hear and think clearly. When we are ready God is waiting for us to call on Him for help. His help will give us strength and hope.
For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41:13 NIV)
In the beginning of our recovery we comply with program guidelines because we believe that there has to be a better life than the one we have been living. We are willing to learn from the experience of others who have walked the path before us. We sleep, we eat, and we talk. We read, we pray, and we write. We exercise, we go to meetings, and we serve. We start to look better and feel stronger. As our strength increases, we begin to have hope for a better life. It’s good at this time to acknowledge what contributed to the strength and hope we are sensing.
The truth is, at this point we can easily fall into the snare of forgetting that we are powerless over our addiction and begin to believe we got this far by our own efforts. We will remain strong only if we remind ourselves that it is God’s strength and truth that sustains us as we continue to do what God says works.
Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help. (Hebrews 4:14-16 MSG)
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