Tag: Addiction

Tetelestai Recovery

Have We Been Delusional in Our Spiritual Journey?

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We still find it difficult to be joyful in these quiet times of testing. We prefer excitement and enthusiasm. It is easy to stay faithful when we are bombarded with supernatural events and scriptures that jump off the pages. It is natural to stay connected to God’s plan and purpose when we see growth and progress at every turn. It is effortless to love God’s presence when we feel the warmth of His love envelop us like a hug from heaven.

The testing times are not so easy to enjoy. We doubt ourselves. We doubt God. We doubt our progress. We doubt our faith. We wonder if our faith is just a delusion and the changes we experienced were not real at all. We flail around in an emotional free fall and without the support of our spiritual siblings, our minds may wander into a dark place.

When caught up in a moment of testing, we must resist letting our feelings and circumstances serve as a litmus test for our faith. It is not healthy, nor is it accurate.

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Tetelestai Recovery

From Mountains to Deserts: Navigating Life’s Journey

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Hiker trekking above winding roads in a lush mountain valley

We love the mountaintops and the flowery meadows, but we must face the fact that dry deserts and muddy bogs are also part of the expedition. We must make peace with both if we want to get where we are going.

When the roads are easy, we feel joy in looking back to see how far we’ve come. When the roads are difficult, we seem to take one step forward, two steps back. Sometimes we slip and fall. Sometimes we just stand still and shrug. Even when we do finally get on firm footing again and start to move forward, we scold ourselves for not being stronger, more resilient, or more determined.

We aren’t sure what to call these moments of uncertainty. The term ‘backsliding’ is way too harsh. The last thing we need is to feel more isolated and cut off from God than we already do.

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Tetelestai Recovery

Journey to Spiritual Fulfillment: Acknowledge the Struggles

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As we release our addictions with the words of Jesus, “It is finished!” and settle comfortably into our new normal, we feel gratitude beyond words. The dysfunctions we struggled with in the past are fading in the distance. We are on firm footing and making solid progress.

Sometimes we make really good progress and are pleased with the distance we cover in such a short time. We feel that our relationship with God is in great shape, and we are motivated by our sense of accomplishment.

At other times, however, we feel as if we were trudging through mud, putting one foot in front of the other, lacking any drive or inspiration. We feel inadequate, overwhelmed, and disinterested. During these times, we don’t feel so great about our relationship with God. We assume He is disappointed with our lack of energy and enthusiasm.

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Tetelestai Recovery

Understanding Emotional Depletion and Its Impact

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When our emotional center becomes depleted, it is easy to just shut down and go dark. For some of us, the darkness is called depression, and we struggle with thoughts of self-harm. For some of us, the darkness is shoved aside with distractions. We bury ourselves in work, entertainment, shopping, or anything else that will keep us from dealing with our unmet emotional needs.

These needs keep us running from one relationship to another; one career path to another; one church to another; one substance to another. We play the blame game, accusing our parents, our partners, or our culture. We know we have unmet emotional needs, so we are naturally drawn toward people and situations that promise to meet them. Of course, it is only a matter of time before they fail us. No human can fully meet our deep emotional needs. It is a painful lesson we have to learn time and time again, until we begin to understand what it means to level up.

We must accept the fact that no human being is equipped to completely fulfill another human being’s emotional, spiritual, and psychological needs. It is just not possible. And it is not their fault. To level up, we must set aside our petty resentments about how others have failed us and realize how foolish it was to think that they wouldn’t.

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Tetelestai Recovery

The Impact of Non-Drug Addictions: Find Your Freedom

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We concluded that all humans suffer from at least one type of addiction. However, we also know that every addiction can be called out and destroyed, using the pronouncement of Jesus, “Tetelestai” (It is finished).

Last Word Recovery Ministries developed the Tetelestai Recovery program that is based on the power of Jesus declaration which offers the possibility of permanent freedom for anyone struggling with addiction.

 As the ripple effect of this program began to reach the families and friends of those who were enjoying permanent sobriety, we received requests for an expanded version of the program which could address other destructive addictions and dysfunctions beyond the scope of drug or alcohol dependence. We were intrigued by this idea and excited to pursue it. 

In this third volume of Tetelestai Recovery, we address some non-drug addictions, along with other dysfunctional behaviors related to the human condition. We offer Sacred Text selections that can break these strongholds and prevent further harm.

Tetelestai Recovery is not just for addicts. It is for everyone. Jesus says, “It is finished!” to the behaviors and dysfunctions that weigh us down and hold us back.

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Tetelestai Recovery

How Boredom Drives Self-Destructive Habits

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As we examined the subtext hidden under the umbrella of this word boredom, we were amazed at how many addictions and dysfunctional behaviors were represented within this bizarre human condition.

We evaluated the times when we felt uncomfortable with our thoughts and behaviors and found there was typically a sense of dullness casting its shadow over the moment.

Boredom meant we were discontent with the level of stimulation occurring in our brains or bodies. To combat discontentment, we looked for outside stimuli to create an artificial sense of satisfaction. Many of us in the group had found a temporary fix through drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, nicotine, revenge, relationships, or food. However, once those self-destructive tendencies were conquered, we found more socially acceptable addictions like workaholism, perfectionism, intellectualism, and a slew of other ‘isms’.

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Tetelestai Recovery

Healing from Emotional Tar Pits: Fuel for the Future

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Astronaut standing near a bubbling dark toxic crater surrounded by animal skeletons in a rocky canyon

In the natural realm, we knew that all dead things did not fossilize. Some decomposed and turned into fuel. We realized it was no different in the spirit realm. We had spoken the words of God to our hard hearts and fossilized past. We watched as He brought our dead dreams back to life.

But we were also faced with the dilemma of what to do with the decomposing compost heap of our past, which should never be called back to life? What of the crimes, the addiction, the lost relationships, and wasted years? We certainly didn’t wish to see those carcasses rising up like zombies from the swamp.

Through this conflict, we discovered the significance of fossil fuels. As the hardened skeletal remains were good for a resurrection, the fossil fuel, made from decomposing waste, could be purified, and used as fuel to propel us into our destiny. A criminal history could be transformed into the fuel which would activate a prison ministry. A struggle with addiction and relapse could fuel a new recovery program. A failed relationship could provide the energy for personal growth in matters of romance and respect…

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Tetelestai Recovery

From Disappointment to Destiny: Finding Purpose Again

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In time, we became willing to enter our own valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37) to speak life over what had been dead for so long.

We found the lifeless remains of enthusiasm, which had been suffocated by disappointment. We found fossils of unfinished projects, which might have been profound, had we not given up. We unearthed splintered fragments of gifts, talents, and abilities which had become casualties of our own sense of inadequacy.

Rather than viewing the carnage as evidence of a wasted life, we began to see it as dry bones coming back to life. By faith, we saw a powerful future rising up from the wreckage of our past.

In our New Normal, we spoke life over anything which reeked of death. In our New Normal, we commanded our dead dreams to rise up in service to our King. We did not think this was too much to expect, for we had been given the resurrection power of Christ. We had been urged to follow in the footsteps of our Creator, who…

“Gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that don’t yet exist.”  (Romans 4:17)

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Tetelestai Recovery

Digging Deep: The Emotional Excavation Site of Our Souls

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Workers digging and excavating artifacts inside a large human head-shaped cave.

We felt as if our emotional center resembled an excavation site; filled with bulldozers, backhoes, and caution tape. Once the surface-level layers were removed, the process became more meticulous and precise.

An archeological dig often begins with heavy equipment, but the expert precision near the treasure is done with a toothpick and tiny brush. So too, our soul dig went through a transformation. It seemed as if it had begun with a total upheaval of our surface level behaviors and lots of changes to the landscape. But eventually, the progress slowed, and we got discouraged. We didn’t realize God needed to use a lighter touch as He sifted carefully through our broken fragments.

His work was so quiet and gentle, we sometimes wondered if He was even doing anything at all. We loved the big, dramatic, exciting changes which we passionately recalled to anyone who would listen. However, the small, hidden changes were tedious and exhausting. They were not nearly as noticeable. At times, we wondered if we might lose interest, or worse, perhaps God might…

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Tetelestai Recovery

Overcoming Inner Strife: God’s Possibilities

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Greed, lust, strife, envy, deception, and fear were familiar to us. Generosity, honesty, loyalty, wisdom, honor, and humility existed outside of our comfort zone. These traits seemed unattainable for those of us who seemed so deeply damaged.

We sometimes felt it was impossible to be comfortable in such unfamiliar territory.

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” (Mark 10:27)

Within these words of Jesus, we found our stability. We stopped beating ourselves up for failing to accomplish what no human could. We realized our New Normal was a gift from God. We could not force it or coerce it. We would not need to use our old manipulation techniques to con Him into giving us a new life.

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