This past weekend we had a guest pastor speaking in our online services at my church. He spoke of so many things that shouted to me about recovery and what we do to stay sober and to help others.
He said this with regard to the Bible’s Gospel message being counterintuitive, “We are not called to fit in, we are called to stick out” And, he talked of how we are called to listen and to love when misunderstanding and hate is thrown our way.
And, so it is with recovery—when I hit my bottom, I had to do something differently. Stop fitting in and start sticking out—separate myself from the drinking that was damaging my life and those around me, and start demonstrating change, that possibly, I could do this life differently.
I immediately jumped into service when I got sober, just by being sober!
Imagine that. I could show others how to do this life sober and stick out from all the others’ and the destructive behaviors that were not serving me or those around me.
Our society thrives on fitting in, doing what everybody is doing, we’re “in” and “cool” when we drink and use and party like them. Well, not exactly. That’s just supporting each other in bad behavior. That’s easy.
The hard part is stepping away. Sticking out. Showing others the way and how it can be done in love and support and without our destructive behaviors, whatever they may be—alcoholism, codependency, drug addiction, sex addiction, pornography, over-eating, over-anything.
This is all counterintuitive, right? What does that mean?
Definition of counterintuitive: contrary to what one would intuitively expect
When I got sober, I felt like I was all alone. Separated from everyone who was having fun, doing the “in” thing, being happy, fitting in. When I found out just the opposite.
I learned there were others like myself, learning how to fit in in a different way—with others that were staying sober, going to meetings, reviewing and changing old behaviors that didn’t work for them anymore (the 12-steps of AA), working with others and sharing their lives in love and sober fellowship.
I chose to become “part of” life rather than choose to separate and isolate. In doing that, I automatically chose a path to stick out and be an example of how God intended for us ALL to live our lives. And the cool part was that it was realized and manifested out of the MESS of my life! That God could use my MESS now as a MESSAGE to others.
So grateful.
You can do this too.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34-35
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