Jesus and recovery

[sdmsanjose]

These posts below are from the Substance Abuse forum but thought that I would post some of the information here as the 12-step program was mention several tiles. The title of the thread on the substance Abuse forum is Jesus and recovery. Portions of that thread are below:


Jesus and Recovering


I have heard a lot of people in recovery say things like:
Has anyone tried Jesus? He can and will truly dry you out. He can help.
Jesus was totally the biggest part of my recovery?
don't think I tried Jesus, more like he tried me
He has and will deliver us from what ever brings us down and separates us from Him
Jesus has helped people (Man) recover for nearly 2000 years


For me those posts stopped short of explaining the details. Without details it seems to me that those statements do not help much. I would think that if Jesus helped someone with such a dramatic situation as addiction the details would be keenly remembered.

I would like to ask all people that are recovering with Jesus being involved to please explain SPECIFICALLY how Jesus helped you.





Sdmsanjose responds 3-7-09

I am going to quote some of your answers and then comment

TheMainExecption 3-4-09
Sometimes, when God does stuff, it's like WAM! out of heaven. Other times, it's bringing a friend into a person's life who guides them to help. Sometimes God gives the person the strength to keep going and not give up

BOBW188 3-6-09
Jesus will help. You will have to act, to reach out, to avail yourself of the 12 Step groups, therapists, etc that God has provided you.

TheMainExecption 3-6-09
I really believe it's a steady dose of all of the above. Saying only actions, or only belief or only thinking over it and reading things and doing intellectual activities is going to do the trick isn't quite right. All of the above is necessary. Humans are made up of Body, Spirit, Soul. Recovering requires that all three are involved. This means, acting, thinking, and believing

Sdmsanjose comments


“Sometimes, when God does stuff, it's like WAM! out of heaven”
I do believe that it sometimes happens like “Sometimes, when God does stuff, it's like WAM! out of heaven” I have a friend since high school (Danny) that was drunk almost everyday for 15 years and then BAM he stopped; he has been sober for over 20 years. He credits 100% to God. My father-in-law drank beer and whiskey for over 50 years and it cost him plenty. He quit when he got arrested for an alcohol related accident and was put in jail for the first time at age 75 and had to pay $7000 for attorney’s fees. He has been sober for 2+ years and drinks non-alcoholic beer.

I have seen the BAM thing happen with a person who gives 100% credit to God and a person who has never said one word about a spiritual involvement with his sobriety or any other thing in his life. When his son died at the age of 32 he specifically demanded that a Christian relative not sing any Christian songs at the funeral.

BOBW188 and TheMainException,
you both gave some detail. Bringing a friend into your life that helps guide you is detail, saying “You will have to act, to reach out, to avail yourself of the 12 Step groups, therapists, etc that God has provided you” is detail IMO.

TheMainException,
you did a good job of giving a summary of the general outline of what it takes to get into recovery: “This means, acting, thinking, and believing”

This is just my opinion. Although you did provide some detail I am still puzzled. I have been involved with a non-Christian recovery board for over 4 years and have heard some very detailed descriptions of the 12-step programs that have helped the addicts get into long term recovery. I think that the 12-step programs are so right on and they are very detailed as they have several books that are very specific about what and why something helps. Some of those that talk about the 12-step programs are Christians and some are not. As a matter of fact one of the most articulate addicts is not a Christian. She has been in recovery for over 5 years and was an addict of mostly Meth for over 26 years.

I believe that Jesus Christ is who He says He is and am puzzled as to why my experience with Christians that have been helped by Christ seem to not be able to go into great detail as much as the 12-step programs and their followers including the non-Christian 12 steppers.

Actually I have read some of the twelve step books and I think that the 12-step programs are directly related to Christ’s teachings. I have been told that the “Higher Power” term was originally Jesus Christ but was changed in order to be more attractive to different addicts.

I am puzzled as to why it appears that in my 4 + years of experience with addiction and recovery the non-Christians seem to be more detailed and articulate than most Christians. I realize that this may be because most of my experience has been on a non-Christian board but there were a lot of Christians on that board. When I posted this thread on this Christian Forum I was expecting a lot more responses and a lot more detail.

I hope I did not offend anyone too much but this has been bothering me for some time and I am just being honest about my thoughts. I may be wrong and stand to be corrected but statements like “Has anyone tried Jesus? He can and will truly dry you out. He can help” bothers me when there is no follow up detail.

When you are desperate for someone to get into recovery that kind of statement without detail just don’t do much for me.

 

[BobW188]

Many thanks far the feedback! I'm sorry we didn't fully answer your question; but am glad we collectively shed at least some light.
This is strictly a personal opinion and certainly not an exhaustive answer; but I wonder if one reason the non-Christian sites are more detailed is because we, as Christians, are more prepared simply to accept some things on faith and as mystery. Whatever the case, it sounds like you are involved in one or more effective programs; and that's what counts.
Please consider joining us on the Alcohol Abuse forum, if you have not already done so. We get a lot of newcomers; and your "take" on things would be a good addition. Whatever our different perspectives, we're all here to help those who want to stop drinking.

 

[MyHeroIsJesus]

Jesus is the only way to truly recover, like everyone has said each person has a different experience or opinion on how that has come about, and some still do not know or want to admit that God has been the reason for their success. I have spent many years in the arms of satan, a long slow dance of drugs and depravity. I will not bore you guys with all the details, but here is a summary: I was a thief, liar, violent and in trouble with the law since I was 14, I have been in 13 treatment centers, 12 years clean in NA and from the 1st year to the 12th, I just could not be freed by the program from some of my behaviors, no matter how hard I tried. Relapsed March '08 and in a life and death struggle with a drug dealer God told me to just go home. I have been in lots of life and death situations but I have never been freed from one in this way. I owe my life to God and His son, He has given me a gift that I can never repay. Freedom is something we all long for, and it is through Christ that true freedom can be found. I am no longer a slave to my flesh, this world and satan. Life is still life, but it is a life where I can call upon Him to walk with me through the day. I am nothing without Him. Having said all this, it is up to each individual to find his own relationship with Jesus and the Bible tells us how we can do it. The Bible is the greatest love story ever written, God's love for us. Do yourself a favor, give up the struggle and believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. God's word has the power to transform lives, I am living proof.

ps. In the Bible read the book of John, it is a good place to start. Find a Bible teaching church and a Bible study and get involved.
pss. If you have already started reading the Bible and profess to be a Christian please read Ephesians 4:17-32.
If we call upon the power of God in all situations we no longer have to struggle with the old self.

 

[BlessEwe]

I love your testimony! Thank you for sharing that.

 

[Chaplain.Walt]

Jesus is an exellent way to recovery. I have travelled that road and it took my faith in Jesus to overcome.

 

[outOftheLoop]

For me those posts stopped short of explaining the details. Without details it seems to me that those statements do not help much. I would think that if Jesus helped someone with such a dramatic situation as addiction the details would be keenly remembered.

I would like to ask all people that are recovering with Jesus being involved to please explain SPECIFICALLY how Jesus helped you.





.

i haven't read all posts yet, not even all of this one (running out of time) but this is how Jesus helps me: i spend time in His Real Presence, which can be found only in the Catholic Church. I sit with Him in silence & listen and the longer i stay the better, which should go without saying, of course.

There is no greater "personal relationship" with Jesus in the world

 

[PBA]

What was AA like when it started?
How were the steps taken?
What were the meetings like and what was quiet time?
AA history was all about surrender of your life to Christ for recovery -Alcoholics Anonymous History: Dick B.’s AA History & Bible Roots

 

[If Not For Grace]

Trust God, Clean House and Help Others is the summary of all 12-step programs..

and I never knew God was Catholic...I guess He just forgot to mention that when last we spoke lol