The first step

As a father of six young children, I can remember with each one of them how my wife and I waited for their first step. It was an exciting time that also opened the doors for dangerous times. No longer would the baby be safely confined to a crib, but the baby would soon be free to roam wherever he or she wanted. That’s when the real adventure began.

Many people who have problems with alcohol or drugs have found help in twelve step programs. The first step of these programs is to admit that you can not make it on your own. The story of Hagar in Genesis 16 shows such a first step. Abram and Sarai were unable to have their own children and so they used Sarai’s slave girl, Hagar, as a surrogate. Hagar was treated badly by Sarai and then fled into the wilderness. At the end of her rope, an angel appeared to Hagar and told her to go back to Sarai and be submitted to her.

For Hagar, God was always present, even in her rough times, but it took reaching the bottom for her to start to look up. That is the way that it is with any sort of problem in life, such as an addiction. Often, we have to reach rock bottom before start to look up. Then we can admit that we are unable to make it on our own. At that point, God can step in and begin to work in our lives.

God is waiting for you to make the first step. Just like a parent, God eagerly anticipates your growth into a mature person. Your lifetime starts with admitting that you need Him. Will you take that step?