Addictions reign supreme. They trump careers, finances, goals, happiness, health, and – worst of all – relationships. As a person struggling with an addiction, you know this to be far too real. Your addiction may have caused a lot of damage, created a lot of chaos, and left a trail of destruction with those you love the most.
And what about your relationship with Him?
You may feel ashamed and undeserving of His love, guidance and forgiveness, so you’ve abandoned your connection with your God altogether. Or, maybe you’ve never explored a relationship with God, but you feel a deep pull from within to communicate, to finally forge a relationship with the spirit that lives at your core.
You’ve taken the very hard and necessary first step: you’ve committed yourself to addiction rehab. You’re in a safe place. Now it’s time to surrender and begin to restore your relationship with God. Your addiction holds no power over you. He can help in your healing and your forthcoming sober life.
Restoring your relationship with God can start simple and remain liberating:
5 Ways to Restore Your Relationship with God During Addiction Treatment
1. Pray
Relationships rise and fall in accordance with one’s effort or priority to communicate. Open your heart to Him and say hello. Praying does not have to be formal; it can be laid-back and unscripted.
• Let Him into your life by telling Him about you, your family, your experiences, and your situation. Whatever comes to your heart, express it. He wants to know what weighs heavy on your soul.
• If you feel compelled to apologize for your addiction or anything in your past, do that. He will hear you and forgive you.
• If you want to express gratitude for the many blessings in your life, do that. The blessings are from Him.
• If you want to ask why adversity, addiction, or depression entered your life, do that. He will guide you through these tough questions and lead you to clarity.
Above all, just start a dialogue with Him. There is no perfect time or place to talk with Him. When you possess a desire to communicate, don’t hesitate. Just talk. He is always listening.
2. Listen
Just as He is always listening, you must do the same. For He is always communicating with you. Find time – multiple times – throughout the day to pause, be still and actively listen to God. He has so much He wishes to share with you. Listen to understand His love, counsel, and humor.
Your act of listening is a sign of devotion. Your commitment to listening will show Him that you care about Him and what He has to say.
As your conversations grows, you will hear Him as you:
• Talk in therapy
• Drift off to sleep
• Workout
• Read
• Eat
• Listen to music
• Pause and take a deep breath
God is always communicating with you. Listen to Him during treatment and you will feel close to Him.
3. Believe
Rehab and recovery can be a very trying period for most people. The detoxification process requires you to dig deeper than you ever have before and uncover the person God designed you to be.
Difficulty and suffering may bring you to question God more times than you wish. But this is the point where real trust and growth develop.
Believing in God means that although you can’t see Him, you trust Him. Although you don’t understand why certain situations unfold as they do, you trust Him.
Believe in Him when he asks you to do hard things. Believe in Him when he asks you to follow the path He laid for you. Believe in Him when He says He will catch you when you fall. Believe in Him during treatment and your relationship will flourish.
4. Surrender
By committing to rehab, you’re committing to getting your life back on track. You’re on the path to surrendering and giving up control. This may sound overwhelming and challenging, as you like to feel in control and struggle with accepting that, because of addiction, the trajectory of your life is headed down a bad path.
The relationship you’re building with God, through praying, listening and trusting, has led you to this moment. Surrendering and handing control over to God does not mean you’re weak or you have failed. In fact, it means the exact opposite. It means you are ready to grow into the person you were born to be.
5. Express
The love you feel as you grow as a whole person and move closer to God while in treatment is no mirage. These feelings are real and the newfound love you possess for yourself and God should be expressed.
However you feel most comfortable communicating your love, tell Him. You will feel endless love and support in return as you complete your recovery journey.
Covenant Hills is Here to Help You Defeat Substance Addiction
You can conquer addiction and repair your relationship with God during treatment. At Covenant Hills, your whole person health is our top priority. Through our faith-based treatment program, we focus on helping you get back to being the person that you know is still inside you – the special person that God created. Take the first step in healing your body, refreshing your mind and strengthening your relationship with God.
Learn more about what we mean by Christian drug treatment, or contact us for a free and confidential assessment.
