True Steps to Treasure

I recently took another look at the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. My walk with Christ began in the midst of weekly AA meetings. I could not have identified it at the time but I had a lot of extra baggage I was carrying around. I am confident that the program helped me to overcome my past and deal honestly with my present. I learned a lot and grew quickly during the year I utilized the Twelve Steps as a guide to recovery.

The reason I looked back was because I was preaching from a passage that was asking for surrender. Surrender in our society almost always brings with it images of defeat, shame and weakness. But in some circles (AA, church) surrender is a good thing, it is the goal of life, it is desired.

The connection piece between the passage and the Twelve Steps was easy to make. The first of the Twelve Steps is to admit that we are powerless…that we are weak, deficient…like clay. Admit that there is no intrinsic quality that can enable us to free ourselves from the shackles that have us bound. It is a moment of total humility, surrender.

The starting place of Paul's strength was based upon this belief. His ability to be "pressed but not crushed, confused but not in despair, or struck down but not destroyed" was not natural, it was supernatural (2 Cor 4:8-9). Paul wanted the world to see God's mighty power working in the midst of his weakness.

Paul tells us that God chose to keep his incredible treasure in jars of clay. Vessels so common they could be discarded; like paper cups in our modern world. Nothing in these vessels was supposed to standout, be noticed or admired. Any value associated with these vessels stemmed from what was inside.

As he talks about this unnatural power to overcome obstacles Paul paints a contrast between the common clay and the special contents it was created for.

That is where the second of the Twelve Steps came into play. It states, "we came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us…keep us, make us overcomers." We need to be filled with a power greater than ourselves.

This "all-surpassing power" (vs 7) that we need is described in terms of light (vs 6). Jesus describes himself as the "Light of the World" (Jn 8:12).

Have you surrendered your life to the Light? Do you contain this light?

When do you refuse to let your weak, common, clay be exposed? Have you been fortifying your appearance? Have you fallen into the trap of decorating and making your vessel appear strong, valuable or worthy?

Are you able to let your light shine?

If not, Why not?