STEP TWO "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!...(More)

STEP TWO "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen." Ro 11: 33-36 "But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin." Ro 14: 23 "-------Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." Js 4: 4 "--------Everything is possible for him who believes." Mk 9: 23 "CAME TO BELIEVE THAT A POWER GREATED THAN OURSELVES COULD RESTORE US TO SANITY." An understanding of the concept of "sanity" is all-important for the person taking this Step 2. For purposes of the Steps, the restoration to sanity by God means a return to that natural state of mind which was God-given and therefore good. The problem of insanity is in two dimensions; the insanity of the first drink or drug and the insanity which comes from the warping of our natural instincts by the power of overwhelming fear. The insanity of the first drink or drug overrides the memory of the last debauch and all of the serious consequences which have always followed the use of mind-altering substances. This is the "denial" which is often cited as the hallmark of the alcoholic or addict. This insanity is also often referred to as an obsession which blocks out any will to resist, a strange mental quirk which cannot be explained in rational terms. In the face of impending physical and mental collapse, the addicted person will return to alcohol or drugs time after time. Fear of the consequences will not overcome this insanity nor will knowledge of self or a full understanding of the nature of the physical and mental ravages which are inevitably bound to follow. The addicted person is simply unable to stop drinking or drugging; he is powerless in every way over his addiction. The needed power must come from God, Fear warps and perverts our minds and the addicted person is a prime example of the resulting unsoundness of mind; a pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization which renders the person incapable of close contact and reliance upon God. Being blocked from God, the addicted person is invariably in a state of spiritual bankruptcy, though he often believes himself to be quite religious and devout and gives every appearance to the outside world that these things are so. The genesis of this fear is common to all people and is not unique to the addicted person, but the result for him is disastrous since he cannot survive without the direct intervention of a loving God. Others may lead miserable lives, and many do, but they do not drink or drug themselves to death and destroy the lives of all who have intimate contact with them. This overriding fear is the product of the belief system which teaches that the only road to happiness and security is through the things of the world and the things of the flesh. Thus education, career, wealth, possessions and power over others is the chosen road, a road which denies God and leads inevitably to failure in life. The person on this path may profess God but in his heart he believes that he must control his own destiny and therefore continually sows the seeds of his own destruction. Fear warps and perverts our God-given natural instincts for sex, security and society which means that our minds no longer function as God intended. The addicted person's mind is not sound; he is insane! Any perceived threat to his instincts for sex, security and society will cause fear, anger, rage, dishonesty and a retreat into self and selfish behavior. He will act irrationally and he will be out of control. This behavior exacerbates the problem by creating more threats and more isolation and rejection. The vicious circle results in greater and greater alienation from God and society and leads finally to a complete mental collapse; a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. The addicted person is powerless over this insanity; he has no more power over his insane thinking than he has over drugs or alcohol. He cannot cure a sick mind with a sick mind. He must have God's help! Once the fact of his insanity is accepted, the addicted person must begin to look for the only solution available to him; complete surrender to God. If he is atheist or agnostic, he must come to believe that help can come from a higher power than himself and this belief will not come because of fear, pressure from others, scientific or rational arguments or any human solution. This is why the professionals so often fail to provide effective help to the addicted persons in their care. The belief that God can restore him to sanity is necessary for his recovery, but first the disbelief or serious doubts about the existence and total power of God must be overcome. The imperative here is that the addicted person must be willing to believe that God exists and therefore be open to the coming of a great gift which God will bestow upon him if he opens his doubtful heart even a little. With this willingness, the addicted person has all that is needed to start on the road to recovery with God's grace as the needed power. As with the First Step, the action required is to read the literature of recovery, meet with recovered persons, consult with those who have recovered and, most importantly, to pray asking God for deliverance from his insanity and for the gift of belief in God's omnipotence and power. This gift will be given him! The addicted person must answer these questions: God either is or he isn't. What is your answer? God either has all knowledge and power or He has none. What is your answer? If God exists and God has all knowledge and power, can there be any doubt that He can restore you to sanity? The answers to these questions will demonstrate the coming of the belief required for the completion of Step 2. STEP THREE "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Mt 6: 24 "---------everything that does not come from faith is sin." Ro 14:23 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Php 2: 3 "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom." Jas 3: 13 "MADE A DECISION TO TURN OUR LIFE AND OUR WILL OVER TO THE CARE OF GOD, AS WE UNDERSTOOD HIM"(Less)