Wednesday, March 30, 2016

The 7 Principles of Living in Freedom Everyday

Here at L.I.F.E. Recovery international, we do not utilize a 12 step program for recovery. Instead, we use Dr. Mark Laaser's seven principles. Dr. Laaser has a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Iowa, and an M. Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary. He has written over a dozen books, and is recognized nationwide as a speaker. His writings have helped thousands to overcome their battle with sexual addiction.

The first principle for L.I.F.E. is acknowledging that our lives have become unmanageable. We cannot hope to recover without admitting that we have a problem. This is perhaps the most important step, as it allows us to begin our journey.

The second step is to believe in God, accept the grace offered through His Son Jesus Christ, and surrender our lives and our wills to Him on a daily basis. Faith is an important aspect of recovery, as it allows us to give ourselves up to a higher power.

The third step is to become aware of our own sins and weaknesses, and confess them to a safe group of spiritual people. Group therapy is vital, as it allows us to collaborate with others and share our experiences.

After this, we seek accountability and growth in our character as children of God. Owning up to our actions allows us to accept our own flaws, ask for forgiveness, and move on in our journey to recovery.

The fifth principle is exploring the wounds from our past, acknowledging our sinful choices in response to those hurts, and allowing God to transform and heal our hearts. True recovery cannot be achieved without first healing our wounds from the past. We look to God to help us heal from these wounds, so we can be free from them.

In fellowship with other believers, we develop intimate relationships where we celebrate God's transforming work in us and continue to address areas of immaturity and weakness. This goes hand in hand with the third step, as we can form these intimate relationships with others that are going through the same process as us.

The final principle of living in freedom everyday, is walking consistently with grace and truth, carrying the message of Christ's healing to others, and pursuing a vision of God's purpose for our lives. While the journey will never truly be over, we can live with sexual freedom and integrity. It is important to share our message with others, in an attempt to help them achieve the same freedom as us.


These seven principles, as well as our statement of faith, and on-going objectives can be found at https://www.freedomeveryday.org/index.php/about/

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