6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
I love the way these steps get you ready for something before you actually do anything about it. In Step 2 we came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity before we trusted that power with our lives (Step 3). Here we are asking if we are ready to have God get rid of all the bad stuff in our lives before He actually does it.
Well of course you want to get rid of the bad stuff, but not so fast. We’ve made adjustments to all this bad stuff. We have justifications and rationalizations for them all. These are our coping mechanisms. We depend on these things. Let’s at least get ready to lose them. Get ready to lose that whoopee blanket before He rips it out of our hands? In the movie, Mr. Mom, Jack gives his kid a moment with his blanket before he has to hand it over. That’s what this step is about — that moment.
Are we willing to lose everything we’ve relied on in our lives other than God? Do we even know what all these things are? We’ve tried to make a list, but that list is by no means complete. These things are subtle — these lies we’ve told ourselves for so long. They are defects in character, but we have become so attached to them that they have become our false security. When Jesus asked the man who had been crippled for 37 years if he wanted to be healed, he didn’t say yes. He gave an excuse. His excuse had become his security blanket. He would turn down being healed rather than lose his excuses that have comforted him for 37 years.
God was bragging about His servant Job one day when Satan said “Let me at him; I’ll get him to curse you.” So God let Satan take everything away from Job and even inflict him with diseases and great pain, and Job cursed the day he was born, but he held on to his faith in God. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him,” he said, finally.
It’s one thing to say you trust God; it’s another thing to actually trust Him when there is nothing else to hold on to. This step is simply saying, I’m ready to lose my addictions and my dependencies. It’s speculative. It’s not the thing itself, but it’s a step. That’s what these are: steps. Get out your list and ask yourself if you’re ready to have God get rid of all those defects in your character.
What would it be like without your defects in character?
Do you really want God to get rid of them? What’s holding you back?
Thanks you…
Sloth. Silver. Self. Sex. _____.
Are any or all of these “intoxicants” currently dominating you?
Or are they “apéritifs” (subtle, gratifying) that are enticing you?
I know I’m jumping the gun a bit because there are still six more steps yet to go in the process that John is leading us through.
Yet, a part of me says that most of us are familiar with where all of this is leading because I suspect, like John mentioned previously, many of us have been around this block before (sometimes several times) … and either failed, stalled, backslid, or – Hallelujah! – succeeded.
Although, true success (in our current sinful state) is not the end of the struggle.
Whatever it is we think we’ve completely conquered will find opportunities later on to strike at us from nowhere like a rattlesnake.
There will be warnings – like the snake’s rattle and hissing – but, at that moment, will we be alert, resolute, resisting, and brave enough to flee in the other direction?
Plus, this is a tag team event so when one temptation taps out, another one taps in (those brood of vipers!).
Fortunately, our tag team Partner is the Holy Spirit, along with strong brothers and sisters (and probably an angel or two) – and we are assured of winning the whole match as long as we don’t convince ourselves that we can win each round by ourselves.
So, of course, in all honest reality: life is a CONSTANT struggle.
Don’t do it alone.
The Catch and your local community of believers are your partners whether you chose them or approved of them for your team or not.
God purposely has you where you are at and you’re not supposed to carry your burdens alone… so be humble and get over yourself!
That being said…
Many of you “Boomer” believers probably remember Chuck Swindoll from his radio ministry “Insight for Living” and/or from the multiple books he’s written over the decades.
I want to share a video from an interview with Chuck at a recent (May 27th) Church Leadership conference that, I believe, will bolster your personal conviction and resolve to succeed in reaching the twelfth step – assuming that’s your sincere goal.
And for any Millennials, Gen X, Y, Z, etcetera’s:
I guarantee that you, too, will benefit from this 91-year-old “influencer” for God!
A final sobering thought for anyone who professes to anyone else that you follow Jesus:
“You represent their Model.”
(The video will elucidate)
Shalom, Peace… 🙂
“How to Finish Well in Ministry” with Chuck Swindoll
https://youtu.be/KY0aQMZlLeg?si=a1XBbidcit57Sx9J