Step Eight ~ Week Two

AS PART OF THE PROCESS OF CHANGE, I WILL IDENTIFY AND RECORD EVERYONE I HAVE HARMED AND THROUGH PRAYER BECOME WILLING TO MAKE RESTITUTION TO THEM

As I read and re-read step eight through the last week the words THROUGH PRAYER I BECAME WILLING continually caught my attention and I found myself asking myself the questions: When in recovery did, I become willing? and was it through prayer? Now don’t get me wrong prayer is an important part of my life and it has played a significant part in the recovery process in my life. But did it make me willing to make a list of the people I have harmed and to go and make restitution to them?

I’m not sure! Because looking over the Twelve Steps both of Alcoholics Anonymous and of Living Life Recovery I think the willingness to do things God’s way happened long before I got to Step eight.

In step one I became willing to admit my life was a mess. My attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors were out of control, and left to my own devices were never going to be anything different. In step to I did not come to believe God existed or He could help me recover. I have always for as long as I can remember, even as a small child believed that God existed and was all-powerful. So why would He not be able to help me overcome my addictions and compulsions if I was willing to let Him? Which brought me to Step three willingness to let Him help me overcome my addictions and compulsions. I knew to do that I had to get to know more about Him and His ways of living as opposed to the way I had been living. To do that I had to get into a personal relationship with Him through meeting with, listening to, and obeying His appointed representative here on earth, The Holy Spirit. Step four required me to become willing to take an honest look at myself, warts, and all. And step five required me to become willing to share it with another human being. Steps six and seven were about me understanding to change the things that were wrong in my character I had to, through humility become willing to allow the Holy Spirit access to every area of my life in order for me to clean up my past in order to get on with the future.

Now here I was at the eighth step. Where I had given God permission, willingly to grant the Holy Spirit access to every area of my life and character. Where He would quickly discover what God already knew. Some of the relationships in my life were not as they should be and a lot of that was my fault, so I needed to become willing to do something about them. Which required a lot of prayers! Because saying sorry and making the right mistakes I had made was not a big part of my makeup, growing up.

Now I don’t know about you but when I know what is required in my life and because I have willingly made a decision to give God access to my life and my character, I generally begin by looking at What the Bible Says. I have read most of the A.A. literature on what that says I should do when it comes to the Twelve Steps. I have been involved in numerous Bible-based Twelve Steps fellowships and completed most of their literature, so I know what they suggest I should do. So for me that only leaves me one avenue – the Bible, prayer, and meditation.

I began praying and moved on to willingly investigate what the Bible said about WILLINGNESS. Now I searched numerous Bible versions on the exact phrase ’become willing’ and couldn’t find any. If you do feel free to let me know what they are. For the word willingness, I came up with the following: (I came up with many more but too many to share)

Matthew 26:41 “Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. Your spirit wants to do what is right, but your body is weak.”

Proverbs 19:2 Willingness and stupidity don’t go well together. If you are too eager, you will miss the road.

We need to be careful on the road to recovery that we don’t allow our enthusiasm to lead us to make stupid decisions and taking stupid actions that will stunt, instead of growing our faith.

2 Corinthians 8:11 Finish what you began to do. Then your willingness will be matched by what you accomplish.

The process of recovery requires that we ‘Start out as we mean to finish.’ It is about growth, not perfection. None of us arrived where we are overnight, and we are not going to change our character overnight. There will be relapses in our attitudes and behaviors.


Galatians 5:22 What happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments.

We develop willingness. Again, willingness is a process as I have shown it started in Step One and comes as part of our spiritual growth as we learn and apply the Twelve Steps of recovery to our lives.

I then went on to look up the Bible said about the word WILLING some of the verses I want to share with you:

Philippians 2:13 God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him.

Obedience to God is not automatic. From my own experience, I can tell you for me it was a learned thing. Our sinful nature reaction to any change in our lives is rebellion. But God loves us and is willing to persevere with us until we can recognize His will in our lives and can give up our own selfish desires to follow where He leads us.2 Timothy 2:10 I am willing to put up with anything. Then God’s special people will be saved. They will be given eternal glory because they belong to Christ Jesus.

I love this verse. A warning that things may be about to get worse before they get better. The purpose of recovery is SERVICE. To learn what Jesus is talking about when He tells us to love others and put their needs before our series.

2 Timothy 4:5 You must stay calm and be willing to suffer. You must work hard to tell the good news and to do your job well.

GOOD NEWS is for sharing. Part of our willingness in recovery needs to become our willingness to share our experience, strength, and hope with others on the road to recovery so they too can come to know the love that God has for them and the debt He paid so we can live the lives He has prepared for us.

Hebrews 6:3 Let’s grow up if God is willing.

None of this is our doing. Our spiritual growth is in God’s will and purpose for our lives. A key to spiritual growth is MATURITY. Which takes time.

Here are some other verses related to WILLINGNESS in the Bible. Take time this week to look them up for yourself and investigate what the Holy Spirit is saying to you about Becoming Willing. REMEMBER to start with the Bible, prayer, and meditation.

John 12:25 Whoever loves the life they have now will lose it. But whoever is willing to give up their life in this world will keep it. They will have eternal life.

Romans 14:1 Be willing to accept those who still have doubts about what believers can do. And don’t argue with them about their different ideas.

Hebrews 6:11 We want each of you to be willing and eager to show your love like that the rest of your life. Then you will be sure to get what you hope for.

1 Peter 4:8 Most important of all, love each other deeply because love makes you willing to forgive many sins.

AS PART OF THE PROCESS OF CHANGE, I WILL IDENTIFY AND RECORD EVERYONE I HAVE HARMED AND THROUGH PRAYER BECOME WILLING TO MAKE RESTITUTION TO THEM

As I read and re-read step eight through the last week the words THROUGH PRAYER I BECAME WILLING continually caught my attention and I found myself asking myself the questions: When in recovery did, I become willing? and was it through prayer? Now don’t get me wrong prayer is an important part of my life and it has played a significant part in the recovery process in my life. But did it make me willing to make a list of the people I have harmed and to go and make restitution to them?

I’m not sure! Because looking over the Twelve Steps both of Alcoholics Anonymous and of Living Life Recovery I think willingness to do things God’s way happened long before I got to Step eight.

In step one I became willing to admit my life was a mess. My attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors were out of control, and left to my own devices were never going to be anything different. In step to I did not come to believe God existed or He could help me recover. I have always for as long as I can remember, even as a small child believed that God existed and was all-powerful. So why would He not be able to help me overcome my addictions and compulsions if I was willing to let Him? Which brought me to Step three willingness to let Him help me overcome my addictions and compulsions. I knew to do that I had to get to know more about Him and His ways of living as opposed to the way I had been living. To do that I had to get into a personal relationship with Him through meeting with, listening to, and obeying His appointed representative here on earth, The Holy Spirit. Step four required me to become willing to take an honest look at myself, warts, and all. And step five required me to become willing to share it with another human being. Steps six and seven were about me understanding to change the things that were wrong in my character I had to, through humility become willing to allow the Holy Spirit access to every area of my life in order for me to clean up my past in order to get on with the future.

Now here I was at the eighth step. Where I had given God permission, willingly to grant the Holy Spirit access to every area of my life and character. Where He would quickly discover what God already knew. Some of the relationships in my life were not as they should be and a lot of that was my fault, so I needed to become willing to do something about them. Which required a lot of prayers! Because saying sorry and making the right mistakes I had made was not a big part of my makeup, growing up.

Now I don’t know about you but when I know what is required in my life and because I have willingly made a decision to give God access to my life and my character, I generally begin by looking at What the Bible Says. I have read most of the A.A. literature on what that says I should do when it comes to the Twelve Steps. I have been involved in numerous Bible-based Twelve Steps fellowships and completed most of their literature, so I know what they suggest I should do. So for me that only leaves me one avenue – the Bible, prayer, and meditation.

I began praying and moved on to willingly investigate what the Bible said about WILLINGNESS. Now I searched numerous Bible versions on the exact phrase ’become willing’ and couldn’t find any. If you do feel free to let me know what they are. For the word willingness, I came up with the following: (I came up with many more but too many to share)

1. Proverbs 19:2 Willingness and stupidity don’t go well together. If you are too eager, you will miss the road.
   
   We need to be careful on the road to recovery that we don’t allow our enthusiasm to lead us to making stupid decisions and taking stupid actions that will stunt instead of growing our faith.

1. 2 Corinthians 8:11 Finish what you began to do. Then your willingness will be matched by what you accomplish.
   
   The process of recovery requires that we ‘Start out as we mean to finish.’ It is about growth, not perfection. None of us arrived where we are overnight, and we are not going to change our character overnight. There will be relapses in our attitudes and behaviours.
   
   
   
2. Galatians 5:22 What happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments.
   
   We develop willingness. Again, willingness is a process as I have shown it started in Step One and comes as part of our spiritual growth as we learn and apply the Twelve Steps of recovery to our lives.

I then went on to look up the Bible said about the word WILLING some of the verses I want to share with you:

1. Philippians 2:13 God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him.
   
   Obedience to God’s is not automatic. From my own experience I can tell you for me it was a learned thing. Our sinful nature reaction to any change in our lives is rebellion. But God loves us and is willing to persevere with us until we can recognise His will in our lives and can give up our own selfish desires to follow where He leads us.

1. 2 Timothy 2:10 I am willing to put up with anything. Then God’s special people will be saved. They will be given eternal glory because they belong to Christ Jesus.
   
   I love this verse. A warning that things may be about to get worse before they get better. The purpose of recovery is SERVICE. To learn what Jesus is talking about when He tells us to love others and put their needs before our series.
   
   

1. 2 Timothy 4:5 You must stay calm and be willing to suffer. You must work hard to tell the good news and to do your job well.
   
   GOOD NEWS is for sharing. Part of our willingness in recovery needs to become our willingness to share our experience, strength and hope with others on the road to recovery so they too can come to know the love that God has for them and the debt He paid so we can live the lives He has prepared for us.
   
   

1. Hebrews 6:3 Let’s grow up, if God is willing.
   
   None of this is our doing. Our spiritual growth is in God’s will and purpose for our lives. A key to spiritual growth is MATURITY. Which takes time.

Here are some other verses related to WILLINGNESS in the Bible. Take time this week to look them up for yourself and investigate what the Holy Spirit is saying to you about Becoming Willing. REMEMBER to start with the Bible, prayer and meditation.

John 12:25 Whoever loves the life they have now will lose it. But whoever is willing to give up their life in this world will keep it. They will have eternal life.

Romans 14:1 Be willing to accept those who still have doubts about what believers can do. And don’t argue with them about their different ideas.

Hebrews 6:11 We want each of you to be willing and eager to show your love like that the rest of your life. Then you will be sure to get what you hope for.

1 Peter 4:8 Most important of all, love each other deeply because love makes you willing to forgive many sins.

• God’s plan for you is always good.
• God’s plan you is a journey, not a destination.
• Seeking God’s plan for your life needs to become an active part of your life.

Proverbs 3:6  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.