Economic Recovery: Change Our Destiny

In recovery terms it's known as "hitting bottom." That moment in life where you awaken to the fact that you've hit such a low point, such despair, that be it personal tragedy through addiction of any sorts, an emotional low like you've never felt before, or mistakes or errors in judgment that led you to bankruptcy, incarceration, or sickness, that you are ready to make a change.

Economic Recovery: Second in a series.

Hitting bottom just may mean it's time to climb out of that hole.

Looking back, I was helped out of that hole by none other than God. However, there were steps, and one of those included attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Then, four years later, accepting Jesus Christ as my savior.

Recently, I began to think about our economic crisis and recovery. Can we apply the principals of a Biblical recovery program to our financial hardships -- individually and as a nation?

I wrote about Step One here and I want to focus on the step a bit more.

We admitted that we were powerless over our dependencies–that our life had become unmanageable.

The Life Recovery Bible states in one of its Step One devotionals:

There are important moments in life that can change our destiny. These are often times when we are confronted with how powerless we are over the events of our life. These moments can either destroy us or forever set the course of our life in a much better direction.

The devotional continues:

Saul of Tarsus (later called Paul) had such a moment. After Jesus' ascension, Saul took it upon himself to rid the world of Christians. As he headed to Damascus on this mission, "a brilliant light from heaven suddenly beamed down upon him! He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?...I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do.'...As Saul picked himself up off the ground, he found that he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained blind for three days. And all that time he went without food and water" (Acts 9:3-6, 8-9).

Saul was suddenly confronted with the fact that his life wasn't perfect as he had thought. Self-righteousness had been his trademark. By letting go of his illusions of power, however, he became one of the most powerful men ever--the apostle Paul.

When we are confronted with the knowledge that our life isn't under our control, we have a choice. We can continue in denial and self-righteousness, or we can face the fact that we have been blind to some important issues. If we become willing to be led into recovery and into a whole new way of life, we will find true power.

Economically speaking -- aren't we confronted with the fact that the U.S. isn't perfect? Can the U.S. continue in denial and self-righteousness? Or should we face the fact that we have been blind to some important issues?

Yes, there are some important moments in life that can change our destiny -- individually and as a country. Some of us might believe we have not hit bottom. Others don't want to find out if we have or not. They want to change now.

Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God... --Psalm 146:5

Economic recovery? My hope is in the Lord!
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Economic Recovery, Step 1: ‘We admitted…’

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Twelve-step devotions run along side many of the pages of the Life Recovery Bible, New Living Translation. When I was first reading this version of the Bible with its side notes, I had a total awakening. I view this Bible as the power of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous mulitplied by 1,000 times! You can get a copy here!