Advanced Recovery : A Prelude To Relapse | By Durrell J. - Celebrate Recovery at University Carillon

 

“If we stay in the basics, we never have to go back to basics.” That phrase came to me after I had relapsed from over a year of continuous sobriety, and almost 18 months into my recovery. “Relapse is entirely preventable” is the lesson I learned from that experience, and I’m now living that lesson out one day at time. If we are consistent in working our program with our recovery tools, accountability partners, our sponsors, and our Higher Power: Jesus Christ - we will find consistent sobriety and growth in our recovery. If our work is inconsistent however - missing meetings, skipping Daily Inventory, cutting short our prayer time, white-knuckling in isolation - our sobriety and recovery will be inconsistent. We get the results we're working toward. The practices laid out here are simple and straightforward - just the same as the Lord spoke to King Solomon in 1 Kings 9.

God made it plain to Solomon that if he continued to honor and love God, that the Lord would continue to shower him with blessings but that if Solomon did not honor the Lord then his kingdom would be ripped from his children. Solomon chose not to honor God, and instead worshipped false gods - and so the Lord tells him in 1 Kings 11 that He will “surely tear the kingdom away from [him]”. Verse 11, "So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates."

When we live in obedience to the Father, continually speaking with Jesus, and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in the next right thing, one moment and one day at time, we will find that we can live happy, joyous, and free, regardless of our circumstances! When we get involved in the recoveries of those around us, promptly admit when we are wrong, make phone calls when we need accountability, we find that we have all that we need. Each day we will find a reprieve from our hurts, habits, and hang-ups.

Just as God promised Solomon, and us, if we do our part consistently we will find that we are more than compensated by the countless dividends that we receive: the joy in connection with others and the end of our isolation, the love we receive from God and our Forever Family, the serenity to handle things that used to baffle us. All of these and more are what Jesus died for to offer us; and all we have to do is say “Yes” today. It’s as simple as that; don’t try to make it advanced. I did once, and it did not serve me well.

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