Wow, that’s a long list for me but I’ll throw out a few

1. the obvious ones everyone thinks of – self-medicating with things that cause a feeling of ecstasy in the brain – drugs, booze, sex, whatever.
2. Next come the socially inappropriate things like controlling others with anger or guilt, looking to others to save me (codependency), annoying habits to others because they’re either gross or show signs of weakness like biting nails, cracking knuckles.
3. Then the socially approved ones like controlling other people (known as taking charge or being a “type a” personality, work (being productive), and legalism (elevating rules above the principle), or pride (camouflaged as positive thinking)

Nearly every person I know struggles mightily in at least one item in any of those three categories and it seeps through our body like a slow-moving cancer – none being a better or worse prognosis than the others. A little dramatic, perhaps – or is it?

The crazy part is that 99% of the time you will only see people from category #1 in recovery or you may see someone with codependent issues (#2) in recovery but that is only because they’re married to someone from group #1

You will only see someone from group #3 in recovery unless God hits them with a (proverbial) truck or lets them hook up with someone from group #1. This is the largest group of all who is suffering. This is the hemorrhaging of “Christian America” and the emperor is wearing no clothes. I went from #1 to suffering in #3 and nobody even knew I was sick. The impact on my life was actually worse, because I was in “Christian I’m okay, you’re okay land.”

If you’re here because you need help – awesome! God has you in the right place. Keep moving closer to him and we’ll do what we can here to help with the process. Let this be a lesson from you future calling back to you though so you don’t make the same mistake I did. The problem isn’t the chemicals, sex, or whatever. There is something much deeper so be aware – we’ll cover this more as we walk through the steps of recovery.

If you’re here because you came looking for Rob Bell Sermons, a PK schedule, or more about if ghosts are in the Bible, and are figuring out if you should take offense at this post or write me off likw some dude wearing a sandwich board downtown, I hope we’ll see you here again too.

Discussion question – how do you handle disappointment?

(Here’s the catch. Before anyone says “I give it to God,” remember he’s listening )

Categories: Step 1
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