Reclaiming Ourselves

“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” — George Eliot (1818-1880)

George Eliot was an English novelist in the 1800s. Interestingly enough, “George” was actually a woman—Mary Ann Evans—who believed that during the time she lived she had to use a male pen name to have her writing taken seriously.

But, male or female, it doesn’t matter. George/Mary Ann was right. It is NEVER too late to become the person we were created to be.

God, in His grace, never loses his ability to look through our struggles and see the victorious and gifted person he intended us to be. He always looks beyond our failures and sees our true heart. But, as we become increasingly addicted to destructive compulsive behaviors, the never-ending cycle of addiction begins to usurp God’s rightful place in our life.

Even though we may, on one level, still love Him, the addiction takes over as our protector, our guide, and, in a sense, our best friend—all the things that God desires to be in our life. We become less able to see ourselves through God’s eyes and lose sight of who we really are.

The addiction, and the relief we believe it brings, becomes our main focus. Slowly, but surely, our true identity is replaced by an addictive “survival personality.” We lose the freedom to pursue the path God has laid out before us.

The recovery process helps remove the hold of this dominant personality and the addiction it relies on. As we gain more and more freedom from its bondage and find ourselves increasingly able to let God once again become our protector, guide and friend, we can also begin to reclaim our true identity in Christ. We can finally reconnect with our authentic self and discover, for ourselves, who God always knew we could be.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” —Romans 12:1-3