Resistance

When we consider making a list of all the folks we have harmed (Step 8), the step itself reads like this: We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

Like most things worth exploring, it is a process. The step is realistic. It says we “became” willing to make amends to this list of people we have harmed.

Resistance is presumed. Making an exhaustive list is not something we are automatically eager to complete.

Which reminds me, again, of God’s suggestions for us, his beloved creation.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Proverbs 3:5-8 MSG

God expects us to need direction; he presumes we will not “keep on track” unless we have yoked ourselves to him. In yesterday’s blog I quoted Matthew 11:28-30 (check it out!). In that passage, Jesus tells us to take his yoke upon us and he will lighten our load and give us rest.

My grandchildren show me the instinctual way of living. As we mature, we are given the opportunity to learn how to live interdependently. We learn how to ignore our base instincts - spitting, scratching, biting. But we have to replace them with better skill sets. We need to learn how to talk about our feelings of envy and jealousy. We need to learn how to use our emotions as barometers, not thermostats. God seems to think we cannot do that without him; with him, these things are not only possible, they are healthy. Our very bones vibrate with life!

Consider the possibility that leaning into God’s way is more freeing than constricting. What if his way of being is not about being rigid, right, and religiously correct? What if it is all about him coming along beside us and guiding us into a life of love, compassion and mercy?