* What is Celebrate Recovery?

.

Many think recovery is only for drug addicts and alcoholics—people whose lives seem out of control. That’s just not true. The Bible clearly teaches that all of us have addictions in our lives. Sin is addicting, and the Bible says, “all have sinned.” Not one of us is perfect. We’ve all blown it; we’ve all made mistakes. We’ve hurt ourselves, we’ve hurt other people, and others have hurt us.

Because of sin, each of us needs repentance and recovery in order to live our lives the way God intended. This is why the biblically based Celebrate Recovery program was developed based on the Beatitudes of Jesus. It started in 1991, but the principles it is based on have been around since the first century.

The goal of Celebrate Recovery is not simply to recover from past sins and hurts. The goal is to become more Christlike in our character.

We all come from different backgrounds. Some are drawn towards materialism, others sensuality, and still others power and control. Whatever one’s bent, the result is the same—obsession and preoccupation over ways to make our lives work. The Apostle John knew this well which is why he tells us, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” -1 John 2:16

How sin manifests in each individual is unique, but there are patterns that emerge in us all. This is why the testimonies (stories) of others resonate so deeply within us. We can relate to bits and pieces of each particular story because all of us are made in the image of God, and in this, we are connected. It is sin that separates us from God, each other, and ourselves.

In Isaiah 57:18-19 God says of His people that He has seen how they have acted but He will heal them, He will lead them and help them and will comfort those who mourn. So God knows us. He knows the condition we are in. He knows where we came from, where we stand today, and where we are going tomorrow. He says;

* If you’ve been hurt, “I want to heal you.”

* If you’re confused, “I want to lead you.”

* If you’ve ever felt helpless to change anything, “I want to help you.”

* If you’ve ever felt no one understands your problem, “I want to comfort you.”

* If you’ve ever felt worried or afraid, “I want to offer peace to you.”

Persistent temptation must be team-tackled through community. We need each other.

The paradox of faith is that in order to save your life, you must lose it. In order to have life, you must first die. Those still trying to manage their lives without God are lost in their sin and selfishness. They are in deep denial of God’s holy laws. Who can say they have never broken any of the Ten Commandments?

The reality is we are not going to get well on our own. Persistent temptation must be team-tackled through community. We need each other. Try to fix our own problems on our own only makes them worse then they were when we started. But there’s hope. God is ready and waiting to help you if you let Him. Your life will change. You’ll experience freedom from your sinful hurts, habits, hang-ups and habits as you give up control and allow Jesus to be Lord in every area of your life. This is why the first principle speaks of being spiritually poor, not spiritually rich (paradox):
Realize I'm not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and my life is unmanageable. --"Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor"

This is what Celebrate Recovery is about. We are growing together in community. It isn’t perfect because the “it” is people, and this side of Heaven we still fall short. But that shouldn’t stop us from being part of the church (Christ’s body) and find our place as we serve one another. Celebrate Recovery offers a way to deal with hurts, habits, and hang-ups that block the three most important relationships in life—God, others and self—in a Christ centered program.

For more on Celebrate Recovery, go here.