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Going Home by Larry G., Director of Leadership Development Like the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15, every one of us that walks through the door of a L.I.F.E. group meeting will make a decision. We will decide not only to start a journey of recovery and healing, we will decide to finally go home. The Greek word for repentance means to stop and turn around, to begin doing the opposite, to have a change of mind and heart. In sexual addiction recovery, it means to turn around and return home. "When he came to his senses…" Luke 15: 17 (NIV) Like the lost son, we have squandered the riches of life with wasteful living. And in the fields, amongst the swine; have we now come to our senses and surrendered the center of the universe back to its rightful Owner? Inviting God back into the center of the universe and realizing that He is the Creator and we are His creation are the first steps in returning Home. Returning home also begins with humility and sadness. In Nehemiah 1, after hearing the news of the destruction of the wall and gates of Jerusalem, Nehemiah was so impacted that it says: "When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted…" (NIV) Acknowledging or understanding the depth of the pain and destruction we have wrought is the beginning of humility. Soon after, Nehemiah prays a prayer of repentance and requests release from his service to the king to return home. Going home for the lost son resulted in a huge celebration. Conversely, Nehemiah returned home to great sadness and destruction. Like the prodigal son, when we make the final approach to our Father’s house, He will be there waiting for us with open arms and a grand celebration. But in our present, temporal lives, how many of us find out that, just because we’ve decided to finally make the right choices after years and years of sinful and selfish choices, that return home may not necessarily mean a "Welcome Home" celebration? Going home will require accepting the consequences of our choices and acknowledging the task of rebuilding the walls around our home. Recovery is a journey, a choice, a project. It is not automatic; it requires deliberate, intentional efforts. Recovery is also ongoing, there are no finite checklists or timeframes that can be listed and run through to produce a healthy, normal life. Living in addiction is exhausting and lonely. Returning home brings surrender, a familiarity and relief. It is the place in which we can heal and bring wellness back to our lives and the lives or our family or relationships. It is a choice we pray you will make. Comments about this Article: (0 comments) |
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