Addiction Recovery Program Step 3

Step 3:  Trust in God

Key Principle:  Decide to turn your will and your life over to the care of God the eternal Father and His son Jesus Christ. 

Step three is giving our will to God.  Step three is allowing us to be swallowed up by God’s will.  In Alma 5:13 it was very powerful.  They humbled themselves and put their trust in God and they were faithful until the end and they were saved. 

Revelation 3:20:  I stand at the door, and knock:  If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

The power of the Savior’s atonement is not only forgiveness but also fortification to give us His strength against the next temptation.  We must rededicate ourselves to the Lord’s will every day, sometimes every hour, moment to moment.  We just must be willing.  Continuing to submit to God’s will reduces strife and brings more meaning to our lives. 

Step 3:  Let go of self will and self-seeking

2 Nephi 10:24  Only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.

How do you feel about letting God direct your life?

I feel absolutely comfortable with letting God direct my life.  I feel at peace and serene with letting God lead my life.  He is all-knowing and through Him I can find grace. 

Yet, what prevents you from allowing Him to direct your life?

I struggle to constantly keep God and His will at mind.  Not because I am bad but rather just a natural woman.  In the world it is so hard to keep the spirit with me constantly because of the insanity of the world, the media, and the sin that is all around.  I am really struggling to find a place of constant inner peace.  I have changed the music I listen to, the TV I watch, and I am working to change bad habits of speech, envy, and what I value.  It is a journey. 

Write about the humility it takes to want immediate relief and yet be willing to have a burden lighten gradually.

It takes a large amount of humility but more importantly faith.  Faith that God will do exactly what He promised but on His schedule, not on ours.  Of course we want relief instantly.

What does it mean to submit to God?  How do you submit?

I think of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and His crucifixion.  Jesus the Christ wanted the pain to end but only if it was the will of His father.  That is the ultimate demonstration of submitting to God’s will.  Understanding that life is a process and there will be ups and downs, times of celebration and times of sorrow.  True submission is to understand that God is all-knowing and a loving God.  That the pain in life is not God doing pain to you, rather part of the journey to return to Heavenly Father and return with an understanding of the blessings and the promises.  Submitting in faith in the blessings, teachings, and covenants will be a reality.  Submitting and enduring to the end despite pain, despite loss, despite grief. 

How do you feel about submitting willingly and with patience to the Lord’s timetable of change?

I really started this process in April of 2003 when I hit my knees in 30 day treatment.  I asked Heavenly Father to assist me with getting sober in recovery.  Since April 2003 until now I have slowly been on the journey of recovery.  Ultimately I want to go into the temple and continue to learn and grow.  I was hoping to quickly start taking the sacrament but I understand patience and God’s timetable.  I will continue to strive to improve and grow.  Time provides us time to do more work and study and to grow.  I fully respect submitting to God on His timetable not mine.  Yet, I am still a bit impatient.  It’s a process right?

How can you gain the courage to keep trying until you are free of your burdens?

Through prayer, scripture study, helping others.  Another great source of information is through LDS.org and Mormon Messages.  Those really touch me and provide me with support and encouragement to keep pressing on. 

How can fasting strengthen your ability to yield your heart to God and abstain from addiction?

Next fast Sunday I plan on fasting with a very specific purpose.  To ask God to stay with me throughout the week.  Every Sunday I feel so strong but through the week I lose the spirit despite prayer and scripture study.  My career is extremely stressful and I find it hard to maintain my connection with God at work.  I am going to ask for guidance on how to keep connected with the spirit, to do the next right thing, and to keep Heavenly Father with me at all times.  I want to feel the peace and serenity as much as possible.  Yielding my heart to God is more important than anything right now.  I am willing to do and try anything. 

What keeps you from crying mightily to God for deliverance according to His will?

Nothing.  I continue to go to Him with prayer and ask for His guidance. 

What has kept you from seeking this kind of deliverance in the past?

Pride, anger, and resentment. 

In what ways can you learn to trust God?

By continuous prayer and meditation.  By building a solid relationship with God and understand that all prayers are answered but in God’s timetable.  Also when I am willing to do the actions and work that God commands. 

How can this knowledge help you humble yourself?

I have felt the power of Satan before when I tried to recover.  I struggled and felt hopeless and helpless.  I attempted suicide to stop the pain and misery.  I did not know or understand where I was at.  I was severely depressed.  Now I know Satan is powerful with messages yet God is so much more powerful if one would humble themselves to follow the teachings of the gospel:  pray, meditate, and action.  Read the scriptures.  Ask if you have doubts.  Work to keep the Holy Ghost with you daily.  Be honest.  Get professional help if needed.  Serve others when you feel sorry for yourself especially.

How does gratitude help you to be humble?

Gratitude allows us to get out of self-seeking, self-pity and puts us in a place of remembering the grace of God and the blessings that have been given to us.  It allows us to continue on in this beautiful journey called life.

What other qualities did Alma include?

Humble, submissive, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of patience and longsuffering, temperate, grateful, diligent in keeping the commandments.

Which of these qualities do you lack?

Diligence in keeping the commandments, giving thanks, full of patience, and gentle.  I can work on each of these qualities I lack of or want to improve on.  I could ask God to help me build these qualities.  Actually I’m going to start right now...

Why can you trust Heavenly Father and the Savior as perfect fathers as you submit your life to them?

Because they have nothing but good intentions and love for me.  God gave His only begotten son to save me.  A true testament of love and sacrifice. 

To have the relationship I have at this point with my Heavenly Father, to describe my struggles, feelings, and desires and yet to say, “Thy will be done,” is absolutely amazing.  ‘Cause I used to pray for my own selfish concerns.  Now I have a relationship with my Heavenly Father where I can be honest with my desires and follow it up with a prayer of understanding and guidance and humility and the understanding to follow God’s will and plan.  Amazing.  God’s love is amazing and wonderful above and beyond anything else I have ever experienced. 

To listen to an actual ARP 12 step meeting focused on Step Three: Trust in God
Please visit http://www.mormonchannel.org/addiction-recovery-program/trust-in-god-step-3

The Addiction Recovery Guide is available as a PDF (24 languages) or mp3.

More information is available on arp.lds.org.