Eight Recovery Principles based on the BEATITUDES

by Rick Warren

1. Realize I’m not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and my life is unmanageable.
”Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor.” Matthew 5:3

2. Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me recover.
”Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4

3. Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.
”Happy are the meek.“ Matthew 5:5

4. Openly examine and confess my faults to God, to myself and to another person whom I trust.
“Happy are the pure in heart.” Matthew 5:8

5. Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life.
“Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires.” Matthew 5:6

6. Evaluate all my relationships, offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others when possible, except when doing so would harm them or others.
“Happy are the merciful” Matthew 5:7 “Happy are the peacemakers” Matthew 5:9

7. Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and His work for my life and gain the power to follow His will.

8. Yield myself to be used by God to bring this good news to others, both by my example and by my words.
“Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires.” Matthew 5:10

http://www.celebraterecovery.com.au/8principles.php

1 Comment »

 
  1. Karin says:

    Not sure about these. Last book I read of Mr Warren’s was more about a church-centred and controlled life, rather than a Jesus-centred one, and some of these principles could make people vulnerable to manipulation by church leaders who like to take control of other people’s lives.

    It is important to realise our ‘poverty of spirit’, but I don’t think that amounts to saying we are powerless to control our tendency to do wrong. AA talks about our Higher Power. Quakers talk about something of God within us. Celtic Christians we are made in God’s image and therefore God’s image is still there deep within us. John O’Donohue and others remind us that God’s love is there deep within us, too.

    So, the way I see it, while we do need to acknowledge our lack of spiritual development, our lack of connectedness to God and to the people and world around us, we then learn to tap into the spiritual resources within us by reconnecting to God and the world around us, and this is what I believe Jesus was calling us to do. We need to listen to that ‘still small voice’ of God deep within us and also work with God’s spirit at work in us in order to fulfill the potential God has put in us.

 

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