Pride, often seen as a virtue, can become a vice when it prevents us from acknowledging our weaknesses and seeking help. This is particularly true in the context of addiction, where pride can be a significant barrier to recovery.
The Nature of Pride
Pride is a complex emotion that can manifest in various ways. It can be a sense of self-worth and accomplishment, but it can also be a defensive mechanism that shields us from acknowledging our flaws and vulnerabilities. In the context of addiction, pride often manifests as a refusal to admit that we have a problem and need help.
Pride tells us that we don't need to take responsibility for our actions, that we don't need help, and that we can handle our addiction on our own. It can make us think that others are trying to control us, causing us to be defensive, and resistant to change. It can also disguise itself as "knowing what it is best" and "nobody can tell me what to do" twisting our perception of ourselves and others.
Pride and Addiction
Addiction thrives on secrecy and denial. It convinces us that we are in control, even when our lives are spiraling out of control. Pride feeds into this illusion of control, making it difficult for us to admit that we are struggling and need help.
Pride can also make us resistant to seeking help. It can make us feel that we should be able to overcome our addiction on our own, without the need for therapy, or support groups. This can lead to a cycle of addiction, where we continue to use despite the negative consequences because we are too proud to seek help.
Overcoming Pride with the 12 Steps
The 12 Steps of Celebrate Recovery provide a spiritual pathway to overcome pride and addiction. Here's how they can help:
1. Admitting Powerlessness: The first step is to admit that we are powerless over our addictions and that our lives have become unmanageable. This is a direct challenge to pride, which tells us that we are in control and can manage our addiction on our own. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled. (Psalm 6:2)
2. Believing in a Higher Power: The second step is to believe that a power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity. This requires humility, the opposite of pride because we are admitting that only God can help restore us.
But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
3. Turning Our Will Over to God: The third step is to make a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God. This involves letting go of our pride and self-will, and trusting in God's will for our lives.
"Not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42)
4. Making a Moral Inventory: The fourth step is to make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. This requires honesty, humility, and a willingness to acknowledge our faults and weaknesses.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting. ( Psalm 139:22-24)
5. Admitting Our Wrongs: The fifth step is to admit to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. This is a direct challenge to pride, which often prevents us from admitting our mistakes and asking for forgiveness.
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. (James 5:16)
6. Becoming Ready for God to Remove Our Defects: The sixth step is to become entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. This requires humility and a willingness to change.
And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)
7. Asking God to Remove Our Shortcomings: The seventh step is to humbly ask God to remove all our shortcomings. This involves acknowledging our need for God's grace and mercy, and our inability to overcome our addiction on our own.
“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” (Joel 2:12)
The remaining steps involve making amends, continuing to take personal inventory, improving our conscious contact with God, and carrying the message to others. These steps all require humility and a willingness to let go of our pride.
Conclusion
Pride can be a significant obstacle in overcoming addiction, but it is not insurmountable. By acknowledging our pride, seeking help, and practicing humility, we can overcome our addiction and start on the path to recovery. The 12 Steps provide a spiritual pathway to overcome pride and addiction and to live a life of recovery and freedom.
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