Bearing Fruit in Unity

Abstinent Today:

I am a gratefully recovering compulsive overeater, abstinent by the grace of God one more* day at a time. †

I didn’t plan my transition very well. In moving my gym days, I forgot to account for the plethora of service technicians who will be marching into my house this morning. I guess I will move my workout to tonight. (That feels like the precursor to an excuse.)

 

 

From today’s entry in Voices of Recovery:

“Honesty, hope, faith, courage, integrity, willingness, humility, self-discipline, love, perseverance, spiritual awareness, service, unity, trust, open-mindedness, responsibility, acceptance, equality, and fellowship: These Twelve-Steps and Twelve- Traditions principles, rather than our problems, should be the focus of every OA meeting.” — The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous, p. 147

It’s hard to “practice these principles in all our affairs” according to Step Twelve if we haven’t identified the principles by working the previous Steps and keeping the Traditions. Reading these principles causes mixed emotions in me. Part of me believes the list to be an oversimplification of the program, another part objects to the pile of character traits that seems at first glance impossible to achieve (and are, if one is counting on their own power), and another just wonders why the principles of twelve steps plus twelve traditions amounts to only twenty terms. Compulsive! Aren’t I?

Still, the list reminds me of yet another crop of traits that I look forward to yielding in my life as I strive to be motivated by God’s will rather than mine.

Galatians 5:22-23, NASB

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

 

 

 

From Proverbs 9, NIV:

6 Leave your simple ways and you will live;

walk in the way of insight.

Look! It’s recovery in one Bible verse! It confirms for me the instruction not to do what I feel like, but what is revealed to me as God’s will. It is amazingly more applicable to compulsive eaters because of the verse that precedes it. The call of Wisdom should not be missed.

Dear Father, today, rescue me from the patterns I have developed. Lift me out of my ruts and help me onto Your path, in Jesus’ name. Amen!

 

 

 

From my reading through the Bible, currently in 1 Corinthians 3, NIV:

1 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?

Two things strike me about this passage: first, Paul’s real intent behind this chapter, the instruction that division among believers defies the One in whom we believe; and second, that the characteristics of immature Christians, converts who still act worldly like “mere humans” does not disqualify them from the family of God, as he still addressed them as “brothers and sisters.” It is important not to be content with infantile faith, even as verse 15 mentions one saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. I don’t want my relationship with God to be one identified by a close call or a near miss!

Paul’s criticism of the Corinthian church was they had begun to separate themselves according to their discipleship under Paul, Peter, or Appollos, and argue about their denominations. I find that we still do the same thing, when one group professes to follow Calvin and another Wesley and another the Pope. Paul’s message is that we all are one body, and comprise the Temple of God (vs. 16-17), and as such, we are to maintain the Temple’s wholeness and unity. We are all Christians; not Methodists, Baptists, Episcopalians or Catholics, but Christians!

22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas[That is, Peter] or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

Papa, help me live in unity with Your children, never alienating anyone by my words, actions or inaction. Keep me from defacing Your Temple, Your Bride, the Church.

 

 

From the “Big Book” of Alcoholics Anonymous, page 17:

We are average Americans. All sections of this country and many of its occupations are represented, as well as many political, economic, social, and religious backgrounds. We are people who normally would not mix. But there exists among us a fellowship, a friendliness, and an understanding which is indescribably wonderful.

 

Footnotes:

*Abstinence began for me on May 11th, 2010.

† For the sake of accountability, the details of my eating are posted in my online food log.