Discovering unwavering strength and determination on the path to recovery with the guidance of the Book of James.
Recovery: Fixing (Taking Responsibility and making Amends) , Willpower, and Holding Hope
Revisiting the short list of reasons (out of many) from previous articles, we see that we need resilience and determination in recovery; let’s continue to dig deeper and look at how the Book of James can be a transformative resource for individuals seeking endurance, healing, willpower, and hope in the face of challenges.
For review, here is the list:
- Enduring through the processes of change
- Healing Damaged Relationships with others
- Healing the relationship with yourself (self-esteem)
- Fixing the challenges of your own making ⬇️
- Strengthen and build your willpower ⬇️
- Hold on to hope ⬇️
4. Fixing the Challenges of Your Own Making:
13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, [f]impartial, free of hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace [g]by those who make peace.
This passage’s endpoint is how great the people who make peace are!
It starts with how a wise person realizes jealousy and selfish ambition as bad things that are the source of all kinds of evil and goes on to describe the lifestyle of a journey of faith as being pure, loving peace, being reasonable, being merciful, not being partial, not being a hypocrite, and just all around bearing good fruit (just all out bringing good to the world).
The journey starts with making peace with the people already affected by jealousy, selfishness, or any negative in us. Then the journey continues with a striving for the perfect-world ideals described here.
In more direct recovery terms, the focus is on humility and taking responsibility for one’s actions. By acknowledging past mistakes, seeking forgiveness, and making amends, individuals can start undoing the challenges they have created. This self-reflection and humility pave the way for personal growth and positive change.
5. Strengthening and Building Willpower:
14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death. 16 Do not be [deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or [shifting shadow. 18 In the exercise of His will He gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would be ]a kind of first fruits [among His creatures.
On top of all the previously mentioned passages focused on the significance of perseverance and enduring trials, this passage directly describes the power that will drive this willpower. The passage starts with a generalized description of how we get to many bad places. This description does work exceptionally well for addiction and relapse, for sure. Then it goes on here to expressly point us to the power driving all of this as a gift from our Heavenly “Father of lights.”
Taken as a stand-alone passage, it can lead to the idea that you look for God to fix you miraculously. When you consider the repeated emphasis on taking that faith and then using that gift of power to take action, it becomes evident that the gift is the fuel that will drive the recovery journey and, in context, will drive the faith journey.
I suppose a simple parable to explain: If our wonderful “Father of lights” gives me the gift of empowering me to get the best job ever, I probably would be unwise to stay in my basement playing video games until the job comes and finds me. At a minimum, I should use that technology to apply for some of those jobs and watch God at work. If I wanted to go to the next level, get clothes that match that job, get my hair cut appropriately, brush up the old resume, etc.
It is improbable (though not entirely impossible) that the employer will come beating on my door with the job offer to give me like some sweepstakes winning, with a giant check and the media waiting for a photo op.
This gift of willpower will have ups and downs and will take action and change in this journey to recovery, but the source of the strength for this divine-powered willpower is our Heavenly Father.
6. Holding on to Hope:
11 We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
For the benefit of those who are not familiar with the Story of Job or only somewhat familiar with it, the short version is: A guy named Job is so amazing that God and Satan both take notice of him, specifically from all the people on earth at the time. God protects him, prospers him, and even brags about him, and Satan says he is only good because God protects him so much. So God tells Satan he will stop protecting him so much and Job will still be that fantastic, good person. Satan proceeds to take everything and everyone he loves except for his wife and his life because that was the area that God decided to protect still. His wife then tells him it would be better if he died, and his last two friends give long discourses on what he may have done to God.
He stays righteous but eventually asks God why he deserves this condition. God gives him a sermon on why humankind is prideful to assume anything is earned by any person and to assume anyone has the right even to ask. God then chastises the friends for their discourses and how they assumed so much about God and Job. Job, staying righteous, begs forgiveness for his friends and himself, staying righteous even in the face of chastisement, and in the end, God gives Job back everything he lost and more. The final state of Job is better than at the start, but he has to endure a terrible and long tribulation to reach the outcome.
For some of us, our addictions have left us in positions that feel like Job felt at the worst. Everything and everyone is gone; we are left with a world of just people who remind us of what we may have or did do wrong. Anyone different often either shares our addiction problem or is a professional trying to help and make us comfortable.
James focuses on hope and resilience, showcasing how individuals like us can triumph over adversity. The story of Job is selected because the audience was all familiar with the trials of Job and, like us, had some understanding of the blessing after enduring, but James refocuses on how enduring to the end leads to more incredible blessings. That is great hope for those of us struggling in the middle of (or at the beginning of) enduring. It reminds us that there is hope for a brighter future, even in the darkest moments. By having faith, seeking support from a community, and holding onto the promises of faith in action, individuals can find hope that fuels their perseverance and strengthens their resolve.
The Book of James is a beautiful wellspring of wisdom and encouragement for those on the recovery journey. By embracing trials as catalysts for personal growth, seeking wisdom from various sources, trusting in faith, resisting temptations, and fostering a supportive community, individuals in recovery can find the endurance and resilience necessary to overcome obstacles. Let the teachings of James and the guiding verses shared in this post inspire and empower you as you navigate the challenges of recovery. Remember, the journey to lasting recovery is possible with perseverance, support, and steadfast commitment.
One response to “From Trials to Triumph: Building Resilience and Determination from the Book of James… (part 3)”
[…] From Trials to Triumph: Building Resilience and Determination from the Book of James… (part 3) […]