ROOTED RENEGADE

When we think of recovery in terms of the 12 steps and the 8 principles as is with Celebrate Recovery there are many things that generally come to mind. Some may initially gravitate towards the first couple of traditional 12 steps having no idea what their Biblical comparisons are, then some on the flip side will know both and then some will know neither. What I found interesting tonight as I was reading 12 scriptures to memorize for 2018 (get it 12??) was the word “MEEK” in one of the scriptures. The scripture the author was referring to for her article purposes was Psalms 147:6 “The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.” and she used an example of what meek meant versus what it didn’t mean.

Let me explain…

When we go through steps in recovery we have a basic outline that many of us follow to the “T”. We don’t deviate from the program because we know that without rigorous honesty and something to cling to we will fall back into the same patterns and behaviours that brought us to the place of destitution and shame that in turn forced some of us into sobriety. Many know the traditional “12 and 12” as they are coined in and out of the rooms of Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous but for those who don’t the “12 and 12” are the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions that have been around since 1958. Then Pastor Rick Warren and Saddleback Church came along and created a Christian based recovery program called Celebrate Recovery which took the 12 steps and gave them Biblical comparisons based on the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 (yea yea I know some of you reading this already know the history but some don’t). Anywho…these Biblical comparisons and their 8 principles are the foundation of Celebrate Recovery which brings me to the epiphany that I had while reading this intriguing PIN this evening.

Principle 3: Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.

(Step 3: Turn our will and lives over to the care of God as we understood Him praying only for his will for us and the power to carry that out)

Verse: “Blessed are the meek” Matthew 5:5

Here is the lightbulb moment that made me have a Homer Simpson moment in my head (and you can laugh cause I know I am not the only one who has them)! I always thought the word meek meant lame, weak, unable, incapable, etc. Never once did I really put much thought into it having such a profound meaning as to what I am about to share. I honestly felt a little ashamed when I read the definition of what I thought was such a simplistic word.

The 1828 Websters Dictionary defines the word meek as “appropriately humble, in an evangelical sense; submissive to the divine will; not proud; self-sufficient or refractory; not peevish and apt to complain of divine dispensations.”

Like WOW! Really? So maybe some of you reading this are saying to your computer screen “Well DUH!” but I had no clue and I consider myself to be fairly intelligent but I don’t read the dictionary and I just assumed I knew the meaning by the context in which I had heard it used over the course of my life never once thinking to look up its true meaning. I am all about changing my perspective to see things in a different light. This definitely changed my perspective to say the least and I felt that is was so relevant to recovery because I wonder how many people really read the Biblical comparisons when they read the Principles and never think to really delve into the meaning behind “Blessed are the meek” as it is written in Matthew 5:5. Who really thinks to themselves “I need to look up a deeper meaning”? Maybe we should start. Maybe this is one of those times were we should not assume we know the meaning to something and begin to dive deeper.

@B3autifullyR3deemed2018