Generational sins (Part 5) The elephant in the room (Part 1)

There seems to be a widespread the public perception, that twelve-step programs are only necessary/useful for those dealing with substance abuse. But this is not the case. What I am seeing over and over, is that people who come into such programs to help “those people,” finish up realizing that they are one of those people themselves! What is happening here, is that as they go through the steps, it starts to become evident that they too have an elephant in the room. You know, an issue that at some level everybody is aware of, but for whatever reason is neither talked about nor dealt with. What I am saying is that as we work the steps we start to come out of denial, the very first of the twelve steps!

There are a number of reasons why we don’t talk about/deal with the elephant in the room. Perhaps one of them is that it’s always difficult, and that we may have no idea how to handle it. Another reason may be that we may simply want to keep the peace, such as it is! Programs like Al-Anon, which are also 12-step based, can help us to come to terms with the fact that our own behaviour may be hindering rather than helping the situation. it is not only twelve-step programs that can help of course, and all recovery programs have strengths and weaknesses. That’s because they are run by people, and nobody is perfect!. Certainly some programs are more suitable than others for dealing with our own particular elephant. But what is interesting to me, is that programs that work all seemed to have common elements, and that all of them at some level have Biblical warrant!

Common elements of Christ based recovery programs include coming out of denial, finding Hope that God can help us solve our problems, and then fully committing our lives to follow Him. At this point, there is a need to dig deeper and, in the language of twelve-step programs, to take a fearless moral inventory. This is about figuring out my part, what is my responsibility and what is not. It’s about making amends for the wrong I have done, and extending forgiveness for the wrongs done to me. We need support at this stage, I don’t think we can do this effectively alone. There is a reason that we are told to confess our faults one to another and to pray for one another, it is that this is the sure route to healing (James 5:16). It does need to be done in a safe place however, and this is where having Christ is our higher Power comes into full advantage. What I mean, is that we when we are all willing to come together to the foot of the cross in mutual submission, then we begin to see there is no difference (Romans 3:23), and this gives us the very best hope to find solutions and peace with each other!

Father, it is very clear to me that recovery is a life long process. In fact I have found that there are a number of elephants in the room. It seems that when we have dealt with the most obvious one, and continue the process of recovery, we discover smaller elephants that were invisible because of the enormity of the first one. I think we have misunderstood sanctification Lord as simply becoming holy. But more and more I am convinced that Christ centred, Biblically-based recovery programs are vehicles that You want to use to bring us into the abundant life that You have promised. I want all that You have for me Father, and I ask You again this morning Lord to do whatever it takes to keep me moving forward, and I will give You all the honour, glory and praise in Jesus name amen