-Terri Fornear
Step 6 – We are entirely ready to have God remove the root of all these character defects.
This is an interesting step to me. Though this step credits God as the One who actually changes me, my role is to be entirely ready to receive His way of removing the root of my problem.
I love what Paul wrote:
Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. – Philippians 2:13-14
It is tempting to think we must change on our own so that God will be pleased with us. It is also tempting to think that we can change on our own. Yet we know Paul had become so frustrated that he gave up trying to change. Can you relate to Paul?
For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? – Romans 7:22-24
He tried and tried to do it himself, but eventually he was ready for change – God’s type of change. This “simple” step is so hard, yet so freeing. Are you tired of trying to change yourself? Are you finally ready for change?
Terri,
I lost my wonderful husband, Carl in January 2014, after the 3 yr. battle with Bilary cancer, finally Pancretic, which amazed many people, including his Syrian Dr. God gave us many opportunities to witness His grace and Carl’s healing the first year. He had less than a 10% chance of living, only months, without that intervention from the Lord! As I was primary Caregiver, I kept feeling God was urging me that later he would use me to help other caregivers as His word instructs in Corn. After his death I have been in the grieving process and don’t pretend after 5 plus months to be finished. My e-mails had gotten up to over 2000 unread and I didn’t even have the energy to read or delete them. I was physically and emotionally drained and still had to take care of a small business, pay bills which my hubby had done for years and try to keep my head above water. I cried out to God and he sent me to two different grief groups. This week I happened to be deleing some of the e-mails when I came across this one on Step 6. I was inspired as I have been in a 12 step program for over 20 years. I looked back at your older blogs and was so glad to hear you are writing material from these steps. I do not know where God is leading me in my Church (FBC Moore, large church that has a grief support group) but I would love to see the 12 steps incorporated in to helping Caregivers. I believe they are so often overlooked. I do not have a degree in Counseling but have had two years training at Scope Ministries, Inc. in Oklahoma City. I say all this to ask for your prayers, your insight and encouragement. As we journeyed through the battle of cancer, my husband was a Champion for Christ, and now that he is in heaven I would like, in God’s timing, to be one for those who struggle daily caring for the ones they love. Again thank you for allowing God to lead you into this ministry. Stronghold Ministries (and you and Joe) helped
me tremendously during the battle, and I will forever be grateful. God Bless you, Neta Archer