Step Seven
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
God said, “Come now, let’s settle this. . . . Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18).
Step Seven
Made Right
Bible Reading: Romans 3:23-28
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
What are our shortcomings? We all realize that we have them. Is this just another way of saying that we’ve fallen short of our personal ideals? At some time, all of us have held high ideals; we’ve used them to define what we think life should be like. But most of us learned early on that we couldn’t measure up to them. And worse yet, we have often fallen short of the expectations of others, and we certainly haven’t fulfilled all that God desires of us. Oh, the weight of guilt we carry! Oh, the pain to think of how we’ve disappointed those we love! Oh, the longing for some way to make up the difference between what we are and what we should be!
The apostle Paul once wrote, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins” (Romans 3:23-24). Paul goes on to ask, “Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law” (3:27-28).
When God removes our shortcomings, he does a great job! “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12). We can trust God to remove our shortcomings, moment by moment, if we humble ourselves to accept his way. That means having faith in Jesus Christ to make up for our lack in both character and action.
No matter how great our sins, God’s grace is greater.
Step Seven
Pride Born of Hurt
Bible Reading: Luke 11:5-13
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
Our pride can keep us from asking for what we need. We may have grown up in families or relationships where we were consistently refused, ignored, or disappointed. No one listened when we asked that our needs be met. Some of us may have reacted by determining to become self-sufficient. We were not going to ask for help. In fact, we were going to strive to never need anyone’s help ever again!
It is this type of pride, born of hurt, that will hold us back from asking God to remove our shortcomings. Jesus said, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened” (Luke 11:9-10). “If your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:9-11).
We must come to the place of giving up our prideful self-sufficiency; we must be willing to ask for help. And we can’t ask for help just once and be done with it. We must be persistent and ask repeatedly as the needs arise. When we practice Step Seven in this way, we can be assured that our loving heavenly Father will respond by giving us good gifts and by removing our shortcomings.
God promises to lovingly respond when we ask him for help.
Step Seven
Becoming like Clay
Bible Reading: Jeremiah 18:1-6
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
Giving up control may be difficult for us. When we get ready for God to remove our shortcomings, we still may want to control how he does it. We’re so used to calling the shots that we’ll ask for God’s help as long as he does it on our terms. We may demand that the changes happen on our timetable, or in the order we feel ready to give them up, or at a speed convenient to us.
God doesn’t work that way. That is why humility is such an important part of this step. God told Jeremiah to go to the house of the potter to learn a lesson. Jeremiah said, “I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. Then the LORD gave me this message: . . . Can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand” (Jeremiah 18:3-6). God told Isaiah, “What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’?” (Isaiah 45:9).
When we put our lives in God’s hands he will reshape them as he sees fit. It is our attitude of humility that allows us to accept the fact that he is the Creator. Our new life may be similar to the one we left behind, or entirely different. God is the master craftsman. Whatever he does, we can trust that he will recreate our lives beautifully once we get out of his way!
When we ask him to, God reshapes our lives into something wonderful.
Step Seven
Humility versus Humiliation
Bible Reading: Luke 14:8-14
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
No one wants to be disgraced. Maybe one reason we hesitate to ask God to remove our shortcomings is for fear of being humiliated. Perhaps people have put us down or publicly embarrassed us in an attempt to turn us away from our addiction. We wonder if God will do the same if we ask him to change us.
God’s goal is not to put us down, but rather to lift us up. He wants us to be spared embarrassment. Jesus showed this when he taught, “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Luke 14:8-11). We are promised, “Humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor” (1 Peter 5:6).
God’s goal is to spare us further humiliation and to lift us up once again to a position of respectability. This will happen at the time he knows is good for us, not necessarily when we feel ready. Our attitude of humility will help us wait for God to restore us in his good time.
Humility is not self-degradation; it is realistic affirmation.
Step Seven
Into the Open
Bible Reading: Philippians 2:5-9
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
Our pride often causes us to hide behind defenses during the recovery process. We may hide behind our good reputation, our position, or delusions of superiority. We may feel such inner shame that we go overboard to cover up with a self-righteous public identity. Those of us who have tried to protect ourselves in this way will need a dramatic change of attitude.
The apostle Paul wrote, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names” (Philippians 2:5-9). The author of Hebrews encouraged us to keep “our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne” (Hebrews 12:2).
We can ask God to change our attitudes. When he deals with our pride, we will be able to stop hiding behind our reputation. We will allow ourselves to become “anonymous,” known as just another person struggling with addiction. When we humbly yield to God in recovery, he promises us future honor and the restoration of a good name.
The deeper our relationship with God, the deeper our humility.
Step Seven
Made of Gold
Bible Reading: 2 Timothy 2:20-22
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
Our shortcomings and character defects can interfere with our ability to make positive contributions. We probably wish God would make our problems disappear in an instant. Then, we think, we could find our purpose in life or be useful once again.
God wants our lives to be worthwhile, but we must remember that truly valuable things take time to purify. Peter reminds us that our faith (reliance upon God for complete recovery) “is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold” (1 Peter 1:7). When gold is purified it is melted by severe heat. In the molten state, the impurities rise to the surface where they can be skimmed off. The gold is then allowed to cool again and the process is repeated, over and over, until the gold is pure enough for its intended purpose. God will deal with us likewise, continually revealing and removing our shortcomings in an ongoing process.
God is moving us toward a goal. The apostle Paul told Timothy, “In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:20-21).
His goal is to help us stay away from sin, one day at a time, as he continues to remove our shortcomings. This lifelong process will purify us and make us useful for God’s highest purposes.
Our recovery is a refining process that burns away impurities.
Step Seven
A Humble Heart
Bible Reading: Luke 18:10-14
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
After examining ourselves closely (as we did in Steps Four, Five, and Six), we may feel cut off from God. Considering the scope of what we have done, we may feel unworthy to ask God for anything. Maybe our problem behaviors are despised as the lowest kind of evil by those whom we consider respectable. We may struggle with self-hatred. Our genuine remorse may cause us to wonder if we even dare approach God to ask for his help.
We are welcome to come to God, even when we feel this way. Jesus told this story: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God” (Luke 18:10-14).
Tax collectors were among the most despised members of Jewish society. Pharisees, on the other hand, commanded the highest respect. Jesus purposely chose this illustration to show that it doesn’t matter where we fit in society’s hierarchy. It is the humble heart that opens the door to God’s forgiveness.
As we humbly seek God each day, we will discover his mercy.
Step Seven
A Forgiven Past
Bible Reading: Psalm 103:1-16
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
We may have a hard time believing in God’s forgiveness. We may think, After all I’ve done, I don’t feel like I should expect anyone to completely forgive me. Maybe we feel that we’ve done such horrible things, or hurt people so badly, that there’s no way our sins could ever be erased entirely. Even if we could be forgiven, who could ever forget the things we’ve done?
When we think of people we know—the people we’ve hurt—perhaps these fears are well founded. But when it comes to forgiveness from God, we need to remember that his ways are higher than man’s ways. The psalmist wrote, “He [God] does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:10-12). God has said, “Come now, let’s settle this. . . . Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again” (Isaiah 43:25).
Part of our recovery is to accept complete forgiveness from God. When we come to God through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, his forgiveness is complete. We may keep track of our failures, adding every fall to the long list we carry against ourselves. But God doesn’t keep lists of our past sins; in his eyes we are clean.
Because God forgives and forgets, we need never wallow in the forgiven past.
Step Seven
God’s Sensitivity
Bible Reading: Isaiah 42:1-7
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
Dealing with our own failings and weaknesses can be discouraging. Sometimes it doesn’t seem fair that we have to face life with the burdens and emptiness we feel. Some of the things we’ve experienced have left us bruised and broken. The flame of hope seems to be wavering. In times when we feel weak like this, we need someone else to encourage us that God can make up for the injustices we’ve endured and the shortcomings we have.
God sent Jesus to meet our needs: “Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged” (Isaiah 42:1-3).
When we humbly ask God to remove our shortcomings we can point out the areas where we are hurting: “Here’s where I’m weakest. This is where the light is flickering and I can’t see the way. Here’s where I’m fainthearted and tempted to despair. This is where there has been a shortage of justice during the times I’ve been wronged and no one protected me.” God gave this mission to Jesus: “You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons” (Isaiah 42:7). This is what God longs to do for us.
When you feel broken, weak, or worthless, God gently picks you up and surrounds you with his care.
Step Seven
A New Freedom
Bible Reading: Isaiah 49:8-12
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
Many of us have lived life with a recurrent sense of dissatisfaction. There’s a hunger and thirst inside that just can’t be filled. Our problems seem like mountains, far too big for us to scale. Our own shortcomings seem like deep, dark valleys; they lead us away from all the positive goals we’ve set. We set out to deal with the mountains in life and find ourselves going down into the deep valleys of old patterns and addictions. Will we ever break free and find a better way?
God has said, “I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out in freedom,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Come into the light.’ They will be my sheep, grazing in green pastures and on hills that were previously bare. They will neither hunger nor thirst. The searing sun will not reach them anymore. For the LORD in his mercy will lead them; he will lead them beside cool waters. And I will make my mountains into level paths for them. The highways will be raised above the valleys” (Isaiah 49:9-11).
God can free us from the constant hunger and thirst by providing new sources of nourishment for our souls. In his mercy, he will provide refreshing streams to satisfy us deeply. With God’s help, some of the problems that now seem insurmountable will become approachable. He will help us find alternate routes to our goals without having to go back down the paths of addiction. We still have to face life’s ups and downs. We still have to take the steps forward. But he can show us a new highway, above the valleys, which will lead us to where we want to go.
True freedom is discovered as God nourishes the hunger in our souls.
Step Seven
Irresistible Love
Bible Reading: Isaiah 53:1-6
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
Maybe we haven’t given much thought to what it would take to remove our sins. It seems like once we’ve failed, or once our shortcomings have become evident, there is nothing that can really compensate for them. And yet we know the guilt and pain that come from continuing as we have in the past.
In God’s eyes, our sins and shortcomings are very important. He can’t just pretend that sin is all right. He knows the human suffering that results and longs to free us by removing the guilt and sin. Let’s take a moment to consider what he went through in order to remove our shortcomings. “He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all” (Isaiah 53:3-6).
Removing our sins was, and still is, very important to God. It cost him a great deal to purchase the gift of forgiveness, which he offers freely to us. It is a humbling experience to ponder what it took for God to be able to remove our shortcomings. How can we resist such love?
Since God has already overcome our shortcomings, we can approach him with both humility and confidence.
Step Seven
The Power of Asking
Bible Reading: Isaiah 53:10-12
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
Most of us probably feel that since we don’t really have a great relationship with God, we don’t really have the grounds to expect him to remove our shortcomings. We may still see ourselves in a negative light. We may wonder why in the world God would do this for us.
Here’s why: “it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him [Jesus] and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins” (Isaiah 53:10-11). The apostle Paul said, “For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:16).
We can expect God to remove our shortcomings because of all Jesus went through to make us righteous. Upon receiving Christ, we become children of God and heirs to many privileges. If we don’t have this affirmed as “his Spirit joins with our spirit,” perhaps we should consider whether we’ve accepted God’s gift of forgiveness (see John 1:12). We may not feel like children of God, especially after a fall, but we can be sure that his promises are true. He offers new life and the removal of shortcomings to everyone willing to accept his offer.
The removal of our shortcomings is God’s work alone—we only need to ask.
Step Seven
Clearing the Mess
Bible Reading: Isaiah 57:12-19
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
In many ways Step Seven represents a turning point in our recovery. It forms a bridge between the inner work of the first six steps and the final steps, which emphasize outer work—changes in behavior. Our shortcomings may seem to clutter the road out of our past. Just because we’re working the steps doesn’t mean that our lives are as they should be. Will God really come into the mess and lead us out?
“God says, ‘Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so my people can return from captivity.’ The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: ‘I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. . . . I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn” (Isaiah 57:14-15, 18).
God is a great help when it comes to clearing the way to a better future. He looks forward to removing our shortcomings so that we can better avoid being tripped up. When we come to him with humility, admitting that we still struggle with many of our shortcomings, he refreshes us and gives us the courage we need to go on. He isn’t put off by the things we do. He sees what we do, but chooses to heal us anyway! He’ll keep leading us toward recovery, one step at a time. He’ll comfort us when we face sorrow and walk with us all the way.
God has seen the things we do, and he promises to heal us anyway!
Step Seven
God’s Mercy
Bible Reading: Isaiah 64:5-9
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
When it comes to asking God to remove our shortcomings, we probably either feel like a professional sinner who is the scum of the earth and has no right to ask anything from him, or we feel like we’re one of the godly ones, who sins occasionally (everybody does) but always tries to live a good life.
The prophet Isaiah said, “You [God] welcome those who gladly do good, who follow godly ways. But you have been very angry with us, for we are not godly. We are constant sinners; how can people like us be saved? We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind. Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have . . . turned us over to our sins. And yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand” (Isaiah 64:5-8).
Those of us who feel like the “bad guys” may not call on God because we still feel disqualified. If we do call on God, we have the advantage of recognizing our need for God’s mercy. Those of us who feel like a “good guy” probably call on God often, and pride ourselves for doing so. The obstacle for us is that we may not plead for God’s mercy, because we’re not convinced we really need it. We all need to humbly plead for God’s mercy. When we do, he can reshape us, leaving our shortcomings out of the formula.
God rejects us when we come brandishing our “good works”; he accepts us when we come seeking his mercy.
Step Seven
Knowing God
Bible Reading: 2 Peter 1:2-4
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
As we work through recovery, humility develops naturally as we realize our powerlessness over life, even over ourselves. We want a good life, and we want our character to change in ways that will make this possible. In asking God to remove our shortcomings, we dare to reach out to the one who has the power we need.
The apostle Peter was a man with many admitted character flaws. His relationship with Jesus brought him face-to-face with his own weaknesses. He found that he wasn’t able to live up to his own values, let alone the values of Jesus. But God dramatically changed his character to the point that he began to reflect the very character of Jesus. He left us with this advice: “May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires” (2 Peter 1:2-4).
This is Peter’s secret for discovering the good life: Grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. It is a growing love relationship with God that will open the door to a life untainted by our present character flaws. God has the mighty power to give us everything we need; and everything we need is found in him as he instills his character in us.
The power of recovery doesn’t come from within; it comes from knowing God better and better.
Step Seven
Eyes of Love
Bible Reading: Hebrews 12:10-13
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
Most of us probably aren’t used to getting the things we ask for. How can we have confidence that God will hear our prayers? How do we know he will answer when we ask him to remove our shortcomings?
The apostle Paul wrote, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes” (Ephesians 1:4). God’s primary goal is to make us holy, that is, to paint his character into our lives. Looking through the eyes of love, he already sees us as we will look when his work is done. Then he works out his goals for us in the arena of everyday life. The Bible tells us: “God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness” (Hebrews 12:10). We can be sure that our holiness—the removal of our shortcomings—is God’s will.
The apostle John wrote, “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for” (1 John 5:14-15).
It is clearly God’s will to have our shortcomings removed. And he has promised to give us anything we ask for within his will. Therefore, we can have full confidence that God will remove our shortcomings in his time.
We can ask with confidence because God looks at us with eyes of love.
Step Seven
In God’s Time
Bible Reading: 2 Peter 3:8-9
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
We may be impatient to have our weaknesses and shortcomings removed immediately. It’s hard to struggle along, feeling we don’t have what it takes to live the life God wants for us. We may wish that he would just wave his magic wand, and poof! . . . a perfect person!
The Bible makes it clear that it is God’s plan to perfect us. But it is also clear that God doesn’t always work according to our timetable. Even the birth of the Messiah had to wait until “the right time.” The apostle Paul wrote, “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children” (Galatians 4:4-5).
The apostle Peter left us another reminder: “But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent” (2 Peter 3:8-9).
God has “the right time” planned for us, too. He takes everything into account when he decides how and when our prayers will be answered. It may seem like he’s too slow in fulfilling his promises. But we can be sure that if he is slow in acting, it’s for a good reason. In the meantime, he supplies the strength we need to continue in recovery, even with our shortcomings.
However long our road to recovery, with God we’re always “right on time.”
Step Seven
A Thorough Washing
Bible Reading: 1 Peter 3:18-21
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
When we ask God to remove our shortcomings, we show that we want our sins to be washed away. We may be burdened by what we’ve learned about ourselves while working the previous steps. We may feel dirty, and trapped; unable to make a break from our old life.
God realizes our need to feel clean and new. He has given us the command to accomplish this through baptism. The ceremonial dipping in water symbolically demonstrates our desire to have our sins or shortcomings washed away. The apostle Peter explained it this way: “That water [Noah’s flood] is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from [or as an appeal to God for] a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21).
In describing his own conversion, the apostle Paul said, “A man named Ananias . . . came and stood beside me and said, . . . ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord’” (Acts 22:12-16).
Some of us may never have been baptized, but the Bible urges us to do so. God has prescribed this special act for our healing. Baptism demonstrates our exit from an old life and our entrance into a new one. Why delay?
As we humbly ask God to remove our sins, he promises to wash and cleanse our hearts.
Step Seven
Breaking the Pattern
Bible Reading: Romans 6:1-4
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
We want to believe that there’s another kind of life available to us. We don’t want to continue sinning, watching our lives being ruined. We vividly recall the baffling power sin has held over us in the past. Why should we believe that this power can be broken? How can we hope for freedom in the future?
As the apostle Paul taught about God’s grace, some of his listeners asked this question: “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?” Paul replied like this: “Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives” (Romans 6:1-4).
When we choose to obey God by being baptized, we’re symbolizing a spiritual truth. The nature inside us, which was bound to sin, has been united with Jesus at the Crucifixion. When he died, it died. When we’re covered by water in baptism, that symbolizes the burial of our old sin nature. When we come up from the water, that symbolizes our resurrection to a new way of life. Being united with Christ in his death and resurrection gives us the opportunity to live free from bondage to sin.
When we become one with Jesus Christ, the power of our past is broken.
Step Seven
A Major Miracle
Bible Reading: Joshua 10:5-15
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
At this point in recovery, we may feel that nothing short of a major miracle will win the battles we face. We may have been badly beaten as we tried to fight our addictions in the past. We probably concluded that we were too weak to win. What could be different now that will bring victory over our shortcomings?
When we fight alone, we are too weak to win. But if we call on the Lord to fight with us, it’s a different story. Joshua was called upon to help an ally fight against several attacking enemies. “‘Do not be afraid of them,’ the LORD said to Joshua, ‘for I have given you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you’” (Joshua 10:8). Just as God promised, Israel won a decisive victory. “On the day the LORD gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the LORD in front of all the people of Israel. He said, ‘Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.’ So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies. . . . There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the LORD answered such a prayer. Surely the LORD fought for Israel that day!” (Joshua 10:12-14).
It may take a major miracle to overcome the foes we face; but God is in the miracle business! He declares that every shortcoming is already defeated and given to us to destroy. When we call out to God for help in the heat of battle, we can have confidence in receiving his help. When the Lord is fighting for us, he won’t stop until all our shortcomings are wiped out!
When we feel discouraged we must remember that God has already won the battle.
Step Seven
Supportive Friends
Bible Reading: Mark 2:1-12
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
Our personal weaknesses can cripple our lives, leaving us handicapped. Some of us have lived a long time in this condition. We’ve come to the point of not being able to go to God for help on our own. We may need to rely on the help and the faith of others who don’t have the same handicaps we do. They may be able to take us to where we can receive God’s healing touch.
Here’s a relevant story: While Jesus was preaching at a crowded house, “four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’ . . . Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!’” (Mark 2:3-5, 10-11).
This man faced what seemed like insurmountable obstacles in his hope for recovery. His friends risked embarrassment to carry him to the place where he could receive forgiveness and wholeness. If we are crippled by our addictions and personal “handicaps,” the road to healing may be more difficult for us than for others who don’t have the same shortcomings. We may have to rely on friends to carry us until we receive the healing that will make us able to move out on our own two feet.
While in recovery we often need the support and help from friends to bring about our healing.
Step Seven
A Singular Focus
Bible Reading: Mark 10:46-52
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
We may face a special challenge as we seek recovery: there may be people watching us who don’t believe we’ll ever make it. If this is so, we’ll need the humility to aggressively seek help despite the added distraction of people looking on. They may treat us with disrespect and tell us to give up our hopes of healing. But we don’t have to listen!
Think about this story: “As Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus . . . was sitting beside the road. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ ‘Be quiet!’ many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, ‘Tell him to come here.’ So they called the blind man. ‘Cheer up,’ they said. ‘Come on, he’s calling you!’ Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ Jesus asked. ‘My rabbi,’ the blind man said, ‘I want to see!’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Go, for your faith has healed you.’ Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road” (Mark 10:46-52).
We, too, need to keep calling out for God’s help regardless of the negative responses of those around us. He’ll hear our earnest cry and heal us, to the astonishment of those who say it’ll never happen!
Recovery and healing is our primary task; let no one distract us from it!
Step Seven
New Hearts
Bible Reading: Ezekiel 36:22-27
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
We may feel like we don’t deserve God’s help because of the way our behavior has tarnished his reputation. These feelings may be especially strong if we were Christians while we were acting out our addictions. Can we really expect God’s help again after we’ve let him down?
The people of Israel were created to represent the Lord to the rest of the world. But instead of obeying him and making him proud of them, they embarrassed him by worshiping idols and behaving in sinful ways. But the Lord didn’t give up on them. He spoke through the prophet Ezekiel: “Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign LORD: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. . . . Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations” (Ezekiel 36:22, 25-27).
God will deliver us from our shortcomings to bring glory to his name, not because we deserve it. When people see how much God does for us, they may believe that he can help them, too. If we’ve tarnished his reputation, he has the power to restore us in a way that will make up for the damage and bring glory to himself.
Our continued recovery, even when we’ve suffered a relapse, brings great honor to God.
Step Seven
A Good Future
Bible Reading: Titus 2:11-14
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
We can hope for recovery in spirit, mind, and body. In the past we may have concluded that we just couldn’t change. But by now, our attitude may be changing; we may have come to believe there is a way out. This hopeful disposition will help us to turn to God and begin again. Perhaps for the first time, we can now look forward to a future filled with promised blessings.
“May the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
“For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds” (Titus 2:11-14).
God has promised us a wonderful future. In the present, he’s in the process of rescuing us from constantly falling into sin. Our willingness to let go of the past and our expectations for good things in the future will help in our recovery.
We have great hope, because the power we need to recover comes from Jesus Christ, the greatest of healers.
Step Seven
Filling Our Needs
Bible Reading: Ephesians 3:14-19
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
Identifying our shortcomings should help to clarify our needs. We need resources, inner strength, love, direction, and power. And we don’t just need these things once, we need them to be replenished constantly because it seems that we keep running out.
The apostle Paul prayed, “From his [God’s] glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you . . . experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. . . . Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 3:16-19; 5:17-18).
The words made complete and filled in these passages mean “to fill up completely” or “to make full.” The verb tense used indicates that this is an ongoing process—we are to be made complete and filled up continually. True recovery only comes as we find a way to fill up the needs in our lives. Wherever we are short, God has the resources, love, direction, strength, and power to meet our needs. We can invite the Holy Spirit to fill us up every day.
God’s love reaches into every corner of our experience.
Step Seven
Continuing Forward
Bible Reading: Colossians 1:9-14
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
Even when our recovery is progressing and we’re doing well, we will face difficulties that may upset us. If we come from a dysfunctional family, our loved ones who are not in recovery will continue to experience problems and crises that will touch our lives. We need to have a source of constant contact with God so that we can keep on going no matter what happens.
The apostle Paul wrote, “So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins” (Colossians 1:9-14).
We need to be continually asking God to remove our shortcomings and fill us up. He can give us the joy, strength, thankfulness, wisdom, and spiritual understanding to handle whatever happens.
Strengthened with all his glorious power, we will have all the endurance and patience we need.
Step Seven
A Healing Fire
Bible Reading: 1 Peter 4:12-13
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
We all know how deeply imbedded some of our shortcomings are. When we’re ready to let God remove them, we must be willing to let him do whatever it takes to get the job done.
When we ask God to remove our shortcomings and purify us, we should be prepared to take some heat. The best way to purify something precious is to melt it down with fire. Even in the Old Testament God commanded that precious metals be passed through fire for ceremonial purification. “Anything made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, or lead—that is, all metals that do not burn—must be passed through fire in order to be made ceremonially pure” (Numbers 31:22-23).
Throughout the Bible there are allusions to God using fire to purify us. The apostle Peter wrote, “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world” (1 Peter 4:12-13). The author of Hebrews wrote, “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living” (Hebrews 12:11).
God only uses fire on things that can take the heat and come out better in the end. He doesn’t send trials to destroy us, but rather to purify us and develop our character. The fire hurts, but in the end it leaves something beautiful in our lives.
God can create something beautiful out of the ruined past.
Step Seven
God Our Helper
Bible Reading: Exodus 3:1-12
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
The thought of facing life without an addictive “crutch” may be frightening. Most of us have suffered from feelings of inadequacy for most of our lives. Our addictions have helped us to deal with our inadequacies.
Even Moses felt inadequate at times. When God called him to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, he felt incompetent for the task. “‘Who am I to appear before Pharaoh?’. . . ‘O Lord, I’m not very good with words. . . . I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.’ Then the LORD asked Moses, ‘Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.’ But Moses again pleaded, ‘Lord, please! Send anyone else.’ Then the LORD became angry with Moses. ‘All right,’ he said. ‘What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well. . . . Talk to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with both of you as you speak, and I will instruct you both in what to do’” (Exodus 3:11; 4:10-15).
God has the power to make up for any inadequacies we might have. He has the power to heal and transform our abilities. He can give us confidence in situations that are intimidating. If we still feel inadequate, even with God’s promised presence and help, he is willing to give us someone to go with us and help us. That companion may be the Holy Spirit or a person who has what it takes to compensate for our shortcomings.
When God is with us, no situation is too difficult or too frightening.
Step Seven
Strength from Humility
Bible Reading: Isaiah 6:1-7
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
If we want to experience humility and have a sincere desire to have our shortcomings removed, we need to seek after God. When we catch a glimpse of his holiness, we will be humbled and transformed.
The prophet Isaiah shares this experience: “It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. . . . They were calling out to each other, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!’ Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. Then I said, ‘It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.’ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, ‘See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven’” (Isaiah 6:1-7).
Isaiah’s experience took the form of a supernatural vision. At just a glimpse of God’s holiness, he became acutely aware of his own deep need for cleansing. We may never see God as Isaiah did, but we can experience God’s presence in a place of worship. As we develop the habit of worshiping God, we will find growing humility in our lives and a growing desire to have him purify us fully.
How amazing that we can see God’s greatness and our contrasting sinfulness, yet still experience his forgiveness!
Step Seven
Weakness Transformed
Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 17:17-51
We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
As we look at ourselves, we may see more shortcomings than we really have. And we may be underestimating the unique gifts God has given us. Some of the things we beg God to remove may have a good side to them that we just haven’t grown to appreciate yet.
Young David went to visit his older brothers at the battlefield. When he heard the taunts of the giant, Goliath, he was ready for a fight. When David asked to be sent out to fight the giant, King Saul said, “Don’t be ridiculous! . . . You’re only a boy” (1 Samuel 17:33). Saul finally gave in to David’s requests. “Then Saul gave David his own armor. . . . David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like. . . . ‘I can’t go in these,’ he protested to Saul. ‘I’m not used to them.’ So David took them off again. He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine” (17:38-40). David used the stones and sling to kill the giant.
The things that appeared to be David’s shortcomings were actually strengths. While growing up, David learned to compensate for his small stature by learning to use the slingshot to protect the flocks. Some of our apparent shortcomings may have taught us to compensate in positive ways. They may work for us and don’t need to be removed. They just need to be reframed in our thinking and handed over to God for his purposes.
When seen from God’s perspective, even some of our shortcomings can become strengths.