Out From Under: Treating Your Own Addictions, Appendix 15

The following steps are basically those used by AA, Al-Anon, NA and other support groups. However, as Christians, we recog- nize our Higher Power to be the Lord Jesus Christ, and God's Word, the Bible, as one of His means of speaking to us directly.
As you follow this program, it is recommended that only one or two passages a day be studied (in sequence) until each step is completed. You will find the following procedure helpful.

a) Before reading the passage, pray that God will reveal to you clearly what He wants you to learn from it.
b) Read the passage slowly (preferably aloud) several times.
c) Underline the passage in your Bible and circle key words.
d) Reflect on what you've read often I during the day. (You may want to discuss it with a close friend.)
e) Pray that God will show you ways that you can put these truths to work in your life.

1) We admitted we were powerless over the addictive/compulsive behavior of ourselves and others...that our lives had become unmanageable (Romans 6:16; 2 Peter 2:19; Proverbs 5:22; John 8:34; Galatians 5:16-21.)

2) Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves...the Lord Jesus Christ ...could restore us to sanity (Philippians 2:13; Psalm 51:10; Isaiah 40:31; Proverbs 3:5-6; Psalm 111:10; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 3:16-18.)

3) Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God through Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Hebrews 11:6; John 7:16-17; John 1:12-13; Isaiah 55:6-7.)

4) Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves (Proverbs 28:13; Psalm 32:5; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Lamentations 3:40; Romans 12:3; Galatians 6:3.)

5) Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs (James 5:16; 1 John 1:8- 9; Psalm 32:3-5; Luke 15:17-18.)

6) Were entirely ready to have God remove I all these defects of character (Psalm
139:23-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; James 4:6-10; Psalm 32:5-6.)

7) Humbly asked Him to forgive and remove our shortcomings (2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 51:1-3; Romans 12:2; 1 John 1:7; 2 Corinthians 5:17; John 8:36.)

8) Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all (Proverbs 16:7; Colossians 3:13; Ephesians 4:29-32; Matthew 5:21-24; Ephesians 4:26; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.)

9) Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others (Luke 19:8-9; Romans 12:17-18; Romans 13:6-9; Philippians 2:14-15; Romans 12:21.)

10) Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it (1 Corinthians 10:12; Proverbs 21:2; Psalm 139:23-24; (also review passages from Step 4.)

11) Sought through prayer, meditation and Bible study to improve our conscious contact with God through Jesus Christ, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out (Romans 12:1-2; 2 Peter 1:2-11; Psalm 1:1-3; Ephesians 1:17-19; 1 Timothy 4:15-16.)

12) Having been spiritually renewed in Christ and having applied these steps in our own lives, we try to carry this message to others in need of it, and to practice these principles in all our affairs (2 Corinthians 1:3-4; Romans 15:1-2; 2 Corinthians 3:5-6; John 15:16; Mark 5:19; Matthew 25:50.)

The Bible covers all the bases of alcoholism as we know it today, pointing out that it leads to confusion (Hos 4:11), encourages a dullness of conscience Isa (5:11-12, 56:11-12; Amos 6:6), and calls down economic and social ruin on families (Prov 20:1, 23:2Q-21).

In the 'New Testament, St. Paul condemns drunkenness as one of the sins that exclude people from eternal life (Rom13:13, 1 Cor 5:11, 6:10, Gal 5:21). Logically, he advises Timothy and Titus to choose as ministers of three young Church those not victimized by this vice (Titus 1:7; Tim 3:3).