Similarity of the 12 step program, to a/the Godly walk and process in life with sins...?

[Neogaia777]

Similarity of the 12 step program, to a/the Godly walk and process in life with sins...?

The 12 step program of AA goes like this:

1. We admitted that we were powerless over alcohol (sins), that our lives had become unmanageable...

2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves (a God, the God) could restore us to sanity...

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him (Submit and give our lives and ourselves over to him/God)...

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves (A deep search within oneself to get to the truth about ourselves and get honest with ourselves and God)...

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs (confession and getting honest in our confessions)...

6. We (became, through this) entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of our character (asked God for help, admitting we can't do it alone and need him to help us)...

7. Humbly asked him to remove our shortcomings (Humbly submitted, acknowledged our need (of him) and ask for his (God's) help, or to do it for us)...

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed (or wronged, because of our sin) and became willing to make amends (patch things up, heal and restore the relationship, there's a theological term for doing this...) Anyways, became willing to make amends to them all...

9. Made direct amends to such people where and whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others... (again there's a theological term for this) (can't remember what it is)...

10. Continued to take personal inventory (remained honest with ourselves and God about ourselves) and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it, (and tried to do something about it, like bringing it to God)...

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact (strengthen, maintain and keep our personal relationship with God) Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood him, praying (seeking for) only for knowledge of his will for us and asking for the power to carry that out...

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of the steps (of this process), we try to carry this message to other alcoholics (sinners with similar sin struggles) and to practice these principles in all our affairs (in our lives)...


That's the twelve step program for alcoholics but I feel is a Godly, Biblical process of turning to God with your sin(s) also...

Comments?

God Bless!

 

[Neogaia777]

Re-posting...?

Anyone...?

God Bless!

 

[JAM2b]

I was searching this forum for a method or list of personal inventory of spirituality, walk with the Lord, and sin confessions, and this thread came up.

I used to be part of a group which is based on AA, but with a heavy focus on Christ. Think Celebrate Recovery without the hype and fanfare. We used the AA big book at every meeting. I think there is great value in this, and I thought about turning back to this 12-step thing while looking for something to take inventory with.

It is very similar to what one needs to do in their life as a Christian. The reason it fits so well is because the authors of it were Christian, and they believed if you were open to the truth and taking baby step toward that, then you begin to cultivate faith in God and would ultimately be won over. They based their 12 steps on what Christians need to do to make their lives right with God and the world around them.

These 12 steps can work for anyone regarding anything that they struggle with, and even just life in general.

 

[Ovlov90]

I was searching this forum for a method or list of personal inventory of spirituality, walk with the Lord, and sin confessions, and this thread came up.

I used to be part of a group which is based on AA, but with a heavy focus on Christ. Think Celebrate Recovery without the hype and fanfare. We used the AA big book at every meeting. I think there is great value in this, and I thought about turning back to this 12-step thing while looking for something to take inventory with.

It is very similar to what one needs to do in their life as a Christian. The reason it fits so well is because the authors of it were Christian, and they believed if you were open to the truth and taking baby step toward that, then you begin to cultivate faith in God and would ultimately be won over. They based their 12 steps on what Christians need to do to make their lives right with God and the world around them.

These 12 steps can work for anyone regarding anything that they struggle with, and even just life in general.

WOW. No takers to this post. Id been saved alittle over a year when one evening I was layingon my bed reading a NT with a copy of the Big Book also nearby. Then it hit me. The AA Big Book is just a paraphrased NT! I was so excited I had to tell everyone. I soon found out that was old news. But that was fine by me. After about 3yrs I stopped going to AA. I felt secure enough in my salvation and relationship with God that I had been freed. To drink or not to drink. Been 29yrs now. It does bother me when Christians dismiss AA wholesale. It is a way to learn to turn yourself over to Him.

 

[Neogaia777]

Re-posting...

 

[icxn]

I would recommend The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Mind you this book was written primarily for monks and is more of an advanced level spiritual textbook, but, that doesn't mean lowly people like us can't benefit from it.

- Edit -

This post is more of an answer to the other thread that links here: "What are the right ways or methods for dealing with and getting away from and out of sin."

 

[Shempster]

Some people view the 12 step program as really just a sin management system. It can be daunting and rigorous. In the real world, it tends to work well for those who decide to follow it and stay consistent. In most cases a peer group or accountability partner is required for success. But success is temporary in the 12 step.
What Jesus offers is freedom from the addictions and mind-sets altogether. If an alcoholics "demons" were not present, always saying "boy a beer would be great right now" "one little drink won't hurt you" and "Jesus drank wine", then he would need no program.
But with constant temptation being present, a strict regimen would be required to overcome the barrage.
Many people try to shut them up with excess work or some hobby which works to a degree.
But really all we all want is freedom. Hard programs and diets and such doesn't seem like rivers of life flowing out from within us. It seems a bit more like being in the army or something.
Just a thought.

 

[Neogaia777]

Some people view the 12 step program as really just a sin management system. It can be daunting and rigorous. In the real world, it tends to work well for those who decide to follow it and stay consistent. In most cases a peer group or accountability partner is required for success. But success is temporary in the 12 step.
What Jesus offers is freedom from the addictions and mind-sets altogether. If an alcoholics "demons" were not present, always saying "boy a beer would be great right now" "one little drink won't hurt you" and "Jesus drank wine", then he would need no program.
But with constant temptation being present, a strict regimen would be required to overcome the barrage.
Many people try to shut them up with excess work or some hobby which works to a degree.
But really all we all want is freedom. Hard programs and diets and such doesn't seem like rivers of life flowing out from within us. It seems a bit more like being in the army or something.
Just a thought.

Fill your mind and heart with good, and being occupied in them, is something that can sometimes work to make some of the temptations go away and bad, negative thoughts (causing negative feelings) as well...

Good, is things of the Spirit...