1. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ( Roman 7:18)
1. Realized I am not God. I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable. ( 8 principles based on the beatitudes by Pastor Rick Warren )
First step. We must first admit and face our denial
Denial:
Acronym is an abbreviations formed from the letters in a word, words in a phrase. D: DIDN’T E: EVEN N: NOTICE I: AM L: LYING
“You can’t heal a wound by saying it’s not there!”
Escape
By living on denial we may have escaped into a world of our own and unrealistic expectations of ourselves and others.
The pain and suffering continue and become worst
We have the false belief that denial protects us from our pain.
In reality, denial allows our pain to fester and grow and turn into shame and guilt.
“Before every man there lies a wide and pleasant road that seems right but end in death. (Proverbs 14:12 TLB)
We felt we are doomed to die and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves. (2 Corinthians 1:9TLB)
Anxiety is a side effect of denial.
Anxiety causes us to waste precious energy and time
Stress, hurt, frustrated, ashamed, running away from our past and worrying about the future. It is only in the present, today, where positive change can occur.
[Worrying is a form of not trusting GOD
“So don’t be anxious about tomorrow. GOD will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time”] (Mathew 6:34TLB)
Stop denying the pain
You are ready to take your first step in recovery when your pain is greater than your fear.
“Pity me, O Lord, for I am weak. Heal me, for my body is sick, and I am upset and disturbed. My mind is filled with apprehension and with gloom” (Psalm 6:2-3 TLB)
We are “as sick as our secrets.”
We cannot grow in recovery until we are ready to step out of our denial into the truth.
“They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of destructive habits – for a man is a slave of anything that has conquered him.” (2 Peter 2:19 GNB)
Isolates us from GOD
GOD’s light shines on the truth. Our denial keeps us in the dark.
“GOD is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all sin”(1 John 1: 5-7)
Alienates us from our relationships with people
“Stop lying to each other; tell the truth, for we are parts of each other and when we lie to each other we are hurting ourselves” ( Ephesians 4:25 TLB).
We are liars if we claim to be Christians but don’t obey. It’s in the Bible, I John 2:4, TLB.
“Someone may say, ‘I am a Christian; I am on my way to heaven; I belong to Christ.’ But if he doesn’t do what Christ tells him to, he is a liar.”
Hypocrites are liars. It’s in the Bible, James 3:14, TLB. ”
And by all means don’t brag about being wise and good if you are bitter and jealous and selfish; that is the worst sort of lie.”
Liars are excluded from the presence of God. It’s in the Bible,
“No one who practices deceit will dwell in My house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in My presence.” Psalm 101:7, NIV.
The dishonest are not allowed in the city of God. It’s in the Bible,
“Outside the city are those who have strayed away from God, and the sorcerers and the immoral and murderers and idolaters, and all who love to lie, and do so.” Revelation 22:15, TLB.
Whatever is covered up will be uncovered, and every secret will be made known. So then, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in broad daylight.” (Luke12:2-3 GNB)
“For light is capable of showing up everything for what it really is.
It is even possible for light to turn the thing it shines upon into light also.” (Ephesians 5:13-14 Philips).
Stop Playing God
You are unable to do for yourself what you need GOD to do for you.
You are either going to serve GOD or yourself. You can’t serve both.
“No one can be a slave to two masters: he will hate one and love the other: he will be loyal to one and despise the other” (Mathew 6:24 GNB).
Start admitting Your Powerless
As you work the first principle, you will see that by yourself you do not have the power to change your hurts, hang ups and habits.
“Jesus…said, “With man this impossible, but with GOD all things are possible.”(Mathew19:26)
Start Admitting That Your life Has Become Unmanageable
You can finally start admitting that some or all areas of your life are out of control to change.
“Problems far too big for me to solve are piled higher than my head. Meanwhile my sins, too many to count, have all caught up with me and I am ashamed to look up” (Psalm 40:12 TLB).
God will forgive. It’s in the Bible, I John 1:9, “But if we confess our sins to Him,
He can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. [
And it is perfectly proper for God to do this for us because Christ died to wash away our sins.]”
“Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor” (Mathew5:3 GNB)