Jesse’s Journal – #11:
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1, KJV)
As I trudge my recovery journey as a Christian, I can carry forward the belief that God has the power to eradicate addiction struggles. However, while I knew God could do it, I believed He could not eliminate it with ME. After all, I prayed hundreds, if not thousands, of times for God to do a miracle and take it away. But He didn’t. I must have been different. I was God’s exception. At times, I wrestled with the thought that perhaps I was not even saved – that was why my prayer didn’t work, I thought.
However, I didn’t realize that God didn’t want to overpower my will and take it away. HE wanted ME to lay it down, willfully, as an act of obedience and trust. Oh, how my flawed core beliefs about God and myself hindered my willingness to surrender my life and will to Him!
I entered the program with a distorted view of God and myself, carrying residual damage from my past. Despite knowing that my only hope for recovery lay in believing in God’s empowerment to overcome my addiction, I was uncertain about how to get there.
Through my involvement in 12-step programs, re-examining fundamental truths about God that I had previously overlooked, and being surrounded by a supportive community, I realized that God had been patiently waiting for me all along. His love, kindness, gentleness, and patience reassured me that I no longer had to flee in shame.
The cross of Christ has redeemed me, shattering the hold of sin through His shed blood. I was justified. But to be sanctified, I had to participate actively with the Holy Spirit. While God could, in His grandiose power, take my addiction away, that wasn’t HIS will. His will was that I lay down my own will and choose His will, then He would empower me through the Spirit to live for Himself.
How It Relates To You:
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6, KJV)
While this verse speaks of God’s complete work in our lives—from our initial salvation (justification) through our ongoing transformation (sanctification) to our final redemption when Christ returns (glorification)—it’s important to understand how this promise applies to our daily lives.
Perhaps you, like many others, have struggled to feel that God’s power to transform lives doesn’t apply to you. Just as Philippians 1:6 promises, God actively works in your life, even when change seems slow. You might have prayed countless times for deliverance from a particular struggle, feeling discouraged when immediate transformation didn’t come.
But here’s the beautiful truth: God, who began His good work in you, is faithfully continuing that work daily. He isn’t waiting for you to pray the perfect prayer or reach some spiritual milestone. Instead, He’s inviting you into a journey of daily surrender, where transformation happens through your willing participation with His Spirit. This isn’t about mustering up more willpower or trying harder – it’s about trusting that the same God who began His work in you will faithfully complete it as you learn to choose His will over your own.
Reflection Questions:
- How has your view of surrendering to God changed after reading about the difference between God taking away struggles versus us willingly laying them down?
- In what ways do you relate to the initial belief that God’s transformative power worked for others but not for you? How has your perspective evolved?
- What role has understanding God’s patient love played in your journey of active participation with the Holy Spirit in your transformation?
Scripture to Remember:
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13, KJV)
This message about surrender and transformation is crucial because it addresses a fundamental misconception about spiritual growth and recovery. While we are declared justified, cleansed by the blood of Christ, and stand redeemed and righteous at salvation, actual inner change doesn’t come from passively waiting for God to remove our struggles magically. Instead, it comes through our active participation in laying down our will to the power of His mighty Holy Spirit. As Philippians 2:13 reminds us, it is “God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure,”—showing that transformation is a partnership between our willingness and His power.
Understanding this principle can revolutionize how we approach addiction recovery and any area where we seek transformation. The post powerfully illustrates that God’s transformative work happens through our daily choice to surrender, aligned with His work within us, rather than attempting to force change through willpower alone. This truth echoes the partnership described in Philippians 2:13—God works within us, empowering our desire and ability to do His will.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for loving me patiently and showing me that real change happens when I choose to let go rather than just waiting for You to fix everything. I’m sorry for thinking You would take away my problems without me doing my part. Help me remember that You’re not here to judge me (that’s already been dealt with at the cross) but to work with me as I follow Your way instead of mine. Please give me the strength to keep working on getting better each day, bringing my addictions and problems to You. Thank you for teaching me that freedom comes when working with Your Spirit.
In Jesus’ holy name, amen.
