The fourth choice is called the housecleaning choice. We make this choice when we say, “I openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God and to someone I trust.” Jesus said in this beatitude in Matthew 5:8, “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God” (NLT). And being pure in heart means getting what’s on the inside of me on the outside of me.
The fifth choice is the transformation choice, in which I voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask him to remove my character defects. It’s based on what Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.” When I make this choice, I’m deciding that I want to allow God to replace my hurts, habits and hang-ups with a whole new life.
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The sixth choice is the relationship choice. Jesus said in Matthew 5:7, 9, “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy… God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God” (NLT). This is where I evaluate all of my relationships, offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me, and make amends for harm that I have done to others, except when to do so would harm them or others.
The seventh choice is the growth choice. I start to grow and get spiritually healthy and develop maturity when I reserve a daily time with God for Bible reading, self-examination and prayer in order to know God and his will for my life and to gain the power to follow his will.
And the eighth among these healing choices for life is the sharing choice, when I turn outwardly and help others to take these same steps. It’s part of being a peacemaker, and it’s really the great result of having started walking through recovery. Nothing is more contagious than the life-changing power of the Gospel.
Long before there was a recovery or addiction program, Jesus used these healing choices for life to lay the foundation for our healing from every hurt, habit and hang-up!
