Steps 1-3 of the 12 Steps

Romans 8:28 in the Life Recovery Bible states, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Surrender and Acceptance Faith is one of the hardest skills to practice in all areas, good and bad. As Christians, we are able to have faith when things are going well, but it becomes more difficult when things take a turn for the worst. We quickly attempt to fix things ourselves before asking God for help. This pattern occurs in addiction. Some Christians feel that they should be able to control their substance abuse themselves or be able to stop simply because they are Christian. This is a good test of endurance, but the outcome is much more damaging than coming to a place of surrender.  The first three steps of the twelve steps clearly outline how Christians can reignite their faith in God by actively practicing Romans 8:28:

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.
   • This step is about surrender, you cannot overcome addiction alone.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
   • This step explains that we need the help of a Higher Power, such as God, to help us get sober.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.
   • This step tells us we need to accept the help and direction of God in order to get our lives back on track.

Surrender should be followed by acceptance, which can be difficult for some Christian addicts. Oftentimes, anger at God can prevent the action of surrender and acceptance of help from Him. Blaming God can prevent Christians from receiving the help they so desperately need in addiction treatment. Changing our thoughts and actions to complement surrender and acceptance will help lower this barrier.

Surrender, Acceptance and Addiction

Taking responsibility for ungodly behaviors  that may have transpired during active addiction is the first step to surrender. Surrendering can be painful, especially when pride creeps in and tells you that you should be able to get sober on your own. Christians need God in all things, but first we must come to him. Hebrews 11:6 in the Life Recovery Bible states, “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek Him.”God desires to be involved with addiction treatment and, for this reason, there are Christian drug rehabs to help Christians overcome addiction. Acceptance involves both receiving help and admitting to yourself that you have an addiction problem that is not under your control. Becoming humble and allowing pride to leave your spirit will allow God to reenter His rightful place in your life. Lakeview Health Systems’ Christian drug treatment center incorporates biblical counseling with addiction treatment. Call 888-616-0460 to speak with one of our trained addiction specialists about our Christian drug rehab program. All calls are confidential and we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our professional staff can walk you through the admissions process, work directly with your insurance company and ensure you get the best available care.