Partiality

TRUTH

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

James‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭9‬

REFLECTION

Early on I was told that I was the most important person in the room.

Thanks. I was sitting on a folding chair in a basement 500 miles from home and halfway through rehab.

Sure, my callousness and cynicism prevailed for a good while. But it broke eventually.

Because it felt good to feel wanted. It felt good to be told to come back and join in.

We all want to be accepted and to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, don’t we?

Recovery programs do a fine job of accepting others. We model this better than a lot of places.

We tell everyone to keep coming back. And we mean it. The only requirement is a desire to get better (and that doesn’t even happen initially sometimes).

We aren’t immune to favoritism or looking down on others. These human ailments plague everyone as far as I can tell.

But we are conditioned to root those things out and kill them when they crop up because our survival is contingent on helping the next person.

It doesn’t matter what they look like or what they’ve been through. We find that anyone can get sober if they’re honest, open-minded and willing.

So, I continue to encourage everyone I meet to keep coming back—no matter what.

Even if they slip up—keep coming back.

In good times and bad—keep coming back.

The only defeat is in giving up, and giving up begins with separating from others.

God, surround me with friends old and new.

SPONSOR

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NEXT

When you’re ready, here are some tools for you:

1. Book List (amazon link)
   Some of my favorite reads related to recovery and/or wrestling with faith.

2. 4th Step Guide (free download)
   A PDF with instructions and worksheets for a thorough 4th step. Straight from the Big Book. Fearlessness not included.

3. 12-Step Christianity (YouTube)
   My thoughts on the parallels between discipleship and sponsorship.

KEEP LEANING FORWARD

Cheers, Eamonn
Contact on LinkedIn, YouTube & Twitter.