I had a dear friend who recently passed away who championed the phrase “Beyond Recovery.” His intent was to say that there is more to life than being clean and sober.
Being clean and sober is a good goal in this life. It will yield fruit and blessing. Yet, more often than not, it is centered upon this life and not the next one. As Christians, we must remind ourselves of the realities of the next life in eternity and of the realities of living for God’s glory not our own sobriety. Clean and sober for the glory of God is the best goal in this life.
We must learn to change our desires from living for the benefit of self to living for the benefit of God and others. That is a primary heart change that needs to occur in every person, every addict, and every Christian. Love of self is the enemy and God calls us to love Him and others more than we already love ourselves in Matthew 22:37-40:
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (ESV)
The goal for us is transformation from self-centeredness into Christ-likenss. That goal is “beyond recovery.”
-Mark (grateful for Winn Freeman and how God used him mightily as a disciple-maker)