12 STEPS to Recovery — STEP #8
Focus on the Recovery Process
12 STEPS to Recovery — STEP #8
Often times we think our addictions are a solitary acts. We reconcile in our minds that our coping mechanisms only affect ourselves. When we think this way, we mentally eliminate the possibility that our hang-ups hurt anyone in the past and won’t hurt anyone in the future. When we list all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all, we begin to realize that our addiction affects more than just us. It affects everyone around us. It helps us realize the consequence of actions. But most importantly, it affects our relationship with God.
“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24 ESV. To have a solid relationship with God, we must first be right with those who we have wronged. In the verses surrounding this text, Matthew 5 talks about anger and the importance of coming to terms with the victims of our selfishness. It gives an example of two people traveling to court and it advises the accused to make amends with the accuser before he arrives at court. Otherwise, the accuser will hand him over to the judge and the judge will have him pay for his crimes in jail. Make amends with those who you have harmed or the judge of the universe will continue to hold you accountable.
Not only will you be both right with God and man, this challenge presented by step 8 will help you understand the true magnitude of your addiction. In the same way making a log of past failures over a period of time helps us understand the frequency of our wrongs, a list of those who we had harmed helps us understand the degree or severity of our cravings. Step 8 allows us to see a wider picture.
Randal Ulangca