Let's stop for a few minutes on this long journey we've been on. Let's reflect on how far we have come. Since January, we have:
Figured out how to let go and trust for maybe the first time
Discovered deep wounds and sins of our own through our inventory
Learned how to come clean with God's help and the help of others we can trust
Made our admissions to God, ourselves and one other human being how wrong we can be and that's ok
That is quite a list, isn't it? Well, we are just a little more than half way through our journey together. August lands us in the 8th month and that means we have come to Step 8 of our recovery journey. Give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done! We have come so far in this journey together! Let's dig into our next step and keep moving forward!
Step 8 says we are to make a list of all the people we have harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. By working through my inventory, I have a laundry list of people who have harmed me and of people I have harmed. As a result of my controlling tendencies, my co-dependent behavior, and my shopping addiction, I have hurt many people without realizing it at the time.
In Luke 6:31, Jesus is speaking to a crowd of disciples. This is Luke's interpretation of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is presenting how people should behave in order to live a "blessed" life. I view this, personally, as Jesus explaining how to live a life with the Kingdom of Heaven in mind. Jesus tells us to love, do good deeds, be generous, pray, be merciful, non-judgmental, just to name a few. Many refer to Luke 6:31 as the Golden Rule.