Faith in Recovery often means making difficult decisions when the outcome is uncertain. There may be more than one possible answer, and that uncertainty can lead to doubt. The challenge becomes especially difficult in recovery when we have not yet developed the spiritual tools to intuitively know to handle situations.
At times, we may follow popular opinions, social media, or cultural influences and simply “go with the flow.” We may turn to others for advice, but their suggestions can still leave us unsure. We can also turn to God, even when the answer is not what we want or does not come when we need it.
When I was a child, I remember asking my father, “Dad, none of my friends wear helmets when we ride bikes together.” His response was simple: “If your friends all jumped off a cliff, would you follow them?” Peer pressure won out. A few weeks later, I crashed my bike on the hard pavement, chipped two teeth, and ended up with scrapes and bruises all over my body.
So, how do we trust which way to go? How do we find true faith, especially for those in recovery?
Spiritual Recovery Means Rowing Upstream
In the book, Relentless, John Bevere offers this vision:
Imagine you standing on the shore of a river, ready to launch your boat. Around you, other boats drift effortlessly with the current, but God calls you to row against it. If you stop rowing, the current pulls you backward and turns you toward danger. Moving upstream demands steady effort; drifting with the current asks very little of you.
The Call to Resist Conformity
What does this vision mean? John says the river represents the world, and the boat represents the body that allows us to live and function within it. As faithful Christians, we resist conformity to the world. Other boats may tempt us as they float by, but God calls us to journey against the flow.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” — Romans 12:2
In this verse, Saint Paul urges us to resist society’s pressures and values when they lead us away from God’s will. We do not adopt the world’s patterns of thought, priorities, or selfish desires. Instead, we cultivate the mind of Christ and learn to tack and turn through the perils of the river.
Standing Like a Stone
A dear sober friend recently shared in a meeting, “Sometimes I feel like a stone in the river. The current rushes over me and around me, and it could even rush beneath me and knock me over. But my faith in God and in the program of AA gives me the strength to stand firm.”
That image reminds me that God strengthens us to stand firm, then calls us to trust Him enough to move forward.
Trusting God Means Letting Him Steer
I hear God call us to rely on His strength, step into His boat, and begin rowing. As we row, we face where we have been, while God sits at the bow to watch over us. We don’t need to know where we are going; we simply need to row. God is in control of the boat’s direction because He steers.
When I am unsure about a decision I need to make, I can remind myself to focus on the work in front of me and trust God with the timing and the outcome. That’s true faith in recovery!
Reflection: Where is God asking you to row against the current today?
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