The oddity of “giving up” in order to be victorious needs a context for the person that has yet to experience this reality.
Surrender can carry such a weak connotation. We think of an admission of defeat. Giving up is for “quitters”, right? When the vernacular of addiction and recovery speaks of surrender defeat is not the point trying to be conveyed.
The person who is in over their head to the beast of addiction has definitely sunk their heels in and put up the best fight they could in trying to manage their obsession with which ever substances they are chained to.
So when surrender is mentioned, it is mentioned with the emphasis of stopping the futile fight and stepping into a different fight. This new fight will still need your grit and determination, but this new reality carries a true reward with it. The reward is freedom.
Surrender is giving up isolation, giving up the solo attempt at changing, giving up the idea that you can some how manage addiction on your own, and giving up the ways of thinking that have lead you into the spiritual prison that the depths of addiction take people to.
Surrender is claiming the victory and joining the army of recovery warriors. Surrender is where real strength is found, and giving up doing it your way is the entry point into a victory that carries unending spoils.
Surrender is retiring from trying to fight against God, but continuing to exert the same energy and fight to fight with and for God. God is not against you, and God didn’t put you through addiction and problems to “toughen” you up. God wants you free more then you want to be free.
So give up. Stop fighting the futile fight and put that brilliant energy to use for the reality of the reward. Your life is worth it and you can live an unimaginably beautiful life of freedom.
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Erik is a certified Life Coach and Recovery Coach. He has been coaching people into recovery and more of their life purpose for years.
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