Working Your Way Through Pain in Addiction Recovery
Most of us have heard the saying, “no pain, no gain”. The mantra that is often used to push us to success at the gym is also a key to physical, emotional, and spiritual success in recovery. Just like the recovery process from a physical injury or surgery, recovery from the trauma and bondage of addiction can also be very painful. People find all kinds of ways to run from pain. We try to shop it away, work it away, blame it on other people, or hide from it through addictions which allow us to numb what hurts and pretend like it doesn’t exist.
While it may seem easier to “put off” what we don’t want to deal with, we are actually making a choice to continue suffering. Why does it have to be so hard to get better? Because the only way out is through. Recovery allows us to start the healing process, so that we can move forward and fulfill our purpose. When the hurt heals, we no longer have to turn to addictions or other distractions to escape the pain. That’s so awesome!
Here’s some even better news. We don’t have to go through it alone. God loves us, and wants to heal every area of our lives. Detox and rehabilitation can start us on the road to physical recovery, but it doesn’t have to stop there. We don’t have to remain emotionally and spiritually broken and wounded. And stuck.
We can recover quickly or slowly, completely or partially. It’s up to us. It’s also completely dependent on the amount of pain we are willing to endure on our way through to the other side. Sometimes that means remembering things we don’t want to, or dealing with people who have hurt us. We might have unhealthy attitudes based on our past experiences, that we need to change in order to move forward.
Through Jesus Christ, we can be healed from the worst types of experiences imaginable. He is the answer, and the healer of our souls. He is ready and able to help us. We just have to ask Him, and be willing to let Him take us through our pain.
Jesus loves us, and will guide us on the road to complete recovery. He’ll bring us to the place where we can hold our heads high, without shame about our past, or feeling like we are damaged goods destined for a second rate life. Amazingly, God can take what has happened to us, and use it for our good. Sometimes, our lives can end up better than if that terrible experience hadn’t happened.
God is not just for emergencies. He wants to have an intimate relationship with us. His only Son (Jesus) died for us so that we could have a close relationship with Him, the creator of the universe, each and every day.
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This post was inspired by the Joyce Meyer message: “Healing of the Soul” featuring Christine Caine.
Recovery Encouragement from God’s Word (The Bible):
Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in Spirit.”
Psalm 23:4 “Yay, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
Isaiah 43:2 “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”
