First of all, we had to quit playing God. It didn’t work.
As one long-sober sex addict recounts: “When I came into sexual recovery, all I wanted was to minimize the consequences of my behavior. I wanted all my problems to dissipate so I could go back to my normal life (including my addiction). I was not looking to change my behavior, and I certainly wasn’t interested in the ‘spiritual awakening’ that step twelve promises. Well, things didn’t work out as planned. I got flattened by consequences. At the same time, because I stuck with the program, I had a gradual spiritual awakening. Today I’m grateful for the consequences I experienced because they kept me in the program, and without the program I wouldn’t have the one thing I now value most in life: a spiritual connection.”
Just for Today
Try thinking about your recovery as a spiritual journey, rather than a means to an end.