Traditions

Most of the time only one thing separates those who succeed from those who fail, and that's total commitment. Our world is filled with great examples of this.

In sports for instance, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time Michael Jordan is remembered not only for his considerable achievements on court but also for the degree of seriousness and personal discipline he brought to the game. Likewise in any other field we might choose to examine we'll always find those few at the top of their game connected by this same common theme.

Empathy, is the ability to relate or identify with, another's feelings, thoughts or position ( to put yourself in someone else shoes and compare the similarities.) That is not as easy as it sounds, not for addicts helping addicts, and especially, not for non – addicts attempting to help addicts. Why? Probably, because of the overwhelming desire to show how much one knows, instead, of how much one cares.

I have fallen into this trap more times than I'd like to admit. The apostle Paul, however, has the correct perspective in Philippians 2: 3-8:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus: “ Who , being in very nature God,...made himself nothing..a servant..a man..

This is a word that for many of us brings an immediate unpleasant reaction. Accountability, that means someone will be checking up on me to make sure I did what i said I would do. When I was using the last thing I wanted was someone following up on me that I was fulfilling my obligations. I liked things to remain hazy.

I had often said that I was going to stop using, that this drug was not in control of me but that I was still very much in control. Having no accountability and having to answer to no one meant that I could make any promises to myself that I wished. The only person keeping me "honest" was me and I knew i was in control.

What in the world, does the bible's authority have to do with recovery from chemical dependency? Well - in the world at large, probably, nothing. Many people in this world, react to the bible in the same way, a horror movie, vampire reacts to garlic or the cross, "Aaaaargh Away from me!" Shamefully, there are those in the chucrh, whose reactions are similar, when confronted with the word of God. Why? What makes the bible something to be feared?Loathed? Ducked and denounced? The answer (I believe) is : IT'S AUTHORITY!