Step/Week 8, Day 2 – Amends: Make a List
May 6, 2020 781
“Treat others as you want them to treat you” (Lk 6:31, TLB).
You may have found earlier on in the recovery process, that making a spiritual and moral inventory helped you evaluate your life in readiness to come clean to God. Having done that, you’ve moved along the road to recovery to this point.
Having found making a list helpful before, you’ll probably want to think about your willingness to make a list of those you’ve hurt in the past and of those who’ve hurt you. It’s important to be specific and deliberate in your list-making. Ask God to help you recall events from the past that you might have forgotten. I know that at the height of my addictions, there were periods of time that I had no recollection of. No memory at all of what might have happened, and that was scary. Living in fear of the unknown and the “what ifs”, is no way to live. Wouldn’t you agree?
Now that you’re in a place to be more open to the idea of making amends and generally being more open to others, you can learn an excellent principle of living from today’s verse. No one likes to be treated badly. It’s probably true that your behaviour or words towards others has gone in some way to influence their behaviour or words towards you. It’s a vicious circle. No longer are you to live by the principle of “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” (see Lev. 24:19-20), as you’ve been doing, but you can recognise that the way you treat others affects the way they treat you. So why not start to treat them in the same way you would like them to treat you. You know it makes sense!
– Graham Hood
Personal Reflection: Do you need to spend time with God in prayer, before attempting to make your list? Are you nervous or fearful about making this list? Give these feelings to God and ask Him to help you push through in making this list. Each day, be intentional to treat others in the same way you want to be treated by them!
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