God of Our Understanding

The addict is not out to have fun. The addict is trying to stay alive the only way he or she knows how, by using the only thing he or she has found that works.

For most people, spirituality is a luxury, something to be sought after more “basic” needs are met. For addicts, there can be nothing resembling a normal life if their spiritual needs are not met first.

What the process of recovery does, in essence, is to allow the addict to find self-transcendence instead of self-destruction.

Recovery in a nutshell: addict gets tired of trying to make everything work; addict gives up and lets Higher Power take over; addict experiences unusual freedom, happiness and usefulness, as long as addict does not renege on previous decision.

If we are really looking to sum up the Steps, we shouldn’t fail to mention the “Twelve Steps in Six Words”: Trust God. Clean House. Help Others.

Are the Twelve Steps really compatible with my beliefs as a Jew?

Once he was able to accept his dependence upon something outside of his own ego, he had already begun his journey toward finding God.

When God takes note of what is going on in the world, it’s not like a person who gets caught up in counting the cracks in the ceiling tiles, and is mentally absorbed in something outside of himself.

The main purpose is to fully restore our relationship with God. Judaism calls this process kapparah, which means “cleansing” or “atonement.”