The Twelve Steps

One of the things I've learned about since being at MARR has been the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. The patients are MARR work through them while they are there. They're meant to be done in order, with each one building upon the other. They're also meant to be worked more than once. When you're finished, typically you start over with the first step.

The steps draw an amazing parallel to the Christian life.

In fact, one Christian writer and theologian, Dallas Willard, modified the steps just a bit and wrote them out to create "The Twelve Steps of Christian Formation". If you know the original Twelve Steps, you'll see what I mean by parallel:

1. I admit that I am powerless over sin and that my life has become unmanageable.
2. I believe that God-through his actions and those of his son Jesus and the Holy Spirit-can restore me to sanity.
3. I will turn my will and my entire life ovver to the care of God.
4. I will make a searching and fearless inventory of my life to discover all the ways I have engaged in self-worship (by being in control instead of living surrendered to the will God).
5. I will admit to God, to myself, and to another human being the exact nature of my wrongs.
6. I am entirely ready to have God remove all the defects in my character and replace them-through his presence-with the thoughts, emotions, will, behavior, and relationship patterns of Christ.
7. I humbly ask God to help me become willing to deny myself-and the desire to live life on my terms-and to remove my short-comings.
8. I will make a list of all the people I have harmed and become willing to make amends.
9. I will make direct amends to all I have injured.
10. I will continue to take personal inventory, and when I wrong someone, I will promptly admit it.
11. I will, through prayer, meditation, and the practice of other Christian disciplines, attempt to improve my conscious contact with God.
12. Having experienced some measure of authentic transformation as a result of surrendering all aspects of myself to the power and presence of Christ, I will carry this message to others and continue to practice these principles in all my affairs.