Principle 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)
Step 2: We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13)
Insanity has been described as “doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result each time.” Sanity has been defined as “wholeness of mind; making decisions based on the truth.” The following are some of the gifts we will receive when we believe that our Higher Power, Jesus Christ, has the power and will restore us to SANITY.
Strength – Jesus gives us strength to face the fears that in the past have caused us to fight, flee, or freeze.
“God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1, AMP)
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the Rock and firm Strength of my heart and my Portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26, AMP)
Acceptance – we learn to have realistic expectations of ourselves and others.
“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. (Romans 15:7, NIV)
New life – we discover that we have an opportunity for a second chance! We do not have to live by our old ways any longer.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)
Integrity – we begin to follow through on our promises. Others start trusting what we say.
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 1:4, ESV)
Trust – we begin to trust relationships with others and our Higher Power, Jesus Christ!
“Fear of man is a dangerous trap, but to trust in God means safety. (Proverbs 29:25, TLB)
Your Higher Power, Jesus Christ, loves you just the way you are! No matter what you have done in the past, God wants to forgive it!
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8, NIV)
No matter what shape your life is in today, together God and you can handle it!
“And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
And if you take action to complete the next principle, your future will be blessed and secure!
“So don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time.” (Matthew 6:34, TLB)