Principle 5: Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects.
Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires. -Matthew 5:6
Step 6: We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. -James 4:10
If you’ve completed all the lessons up until this point, congratulations! Facing your shortcomings and sharing them with another person is difficult. I pray that the experience was freeing and healing for you as you continue your journey on the road to health and change.
Speaking of change, that is what this lesson is really about- being READY to allow God to work in your life. As you’ve progressed through the steps, you might have noticed some changes taking place in the way you act or react to situations. If not, don’t worry- everyone progresses at different rates. At first, it may not be entirely noticeable, but change of any kind often takes time to become evident.
In Principle 5, we seek to “Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects.” Although this sounds like a great idea, it truly is a lifelong process of continual submission to God and His work in our life. As we continue to grow and time passes, God will continue to shape us into the person He wants us to be.
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. -Philippians 1:6
Before we get to the acrostic for this lesson, take note of the two adverbs in this Principle: voluntarily and humbly. These are important and were included in this Principle for a reason. They describe the manner in which we are to take action in this Principle.
The very first word of the Principle is the catalyst for any change that will occur in us- voluntarily. God will not force His will on us- we have to allow Him to work in our lives. We cannot continue in our recovery unless we voluntarily submit to every change.
Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him. -Isaiah 30:18
Submitting can be difficult for many people. It takes the power from us and gives it to another person- in this case, God. To voluntarily submit means to willingly do what God wants us to do, no matter the cost.
The second verb, humbly, is also important. The attitude in which we approach God shows the true nature of our heart. God knows our true nature without us uttering a word. If we do not approach Him as the Lord that He is, we are dishonoring Him greatly.
He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble His way. -Psalm 25:9
Asking of others can also be difficult for many of us. It again takes the power from us and gives it to God. To humbly ask something of God requires setting aside our pride and trusting that He will do what is right.
Release Control
- “Willingness is the key that goes into the lock and opens the door that allows God to begin to remove your character defects.”
- Allow time for God to work in your life.
- Seeing the need for change and allowing the change to occur are two different things.
- Trade out old habits for new ones.
- You are worthy of God’s love and the work He is doing in your life- let Him!
Help me to do Your will, for You are my God. Lead me in good paths, for Your Spirit is good. -Psalm 143:10
