Relapse Prevention: Overcoming the BUD Part 4
How does one overcome a BUD and prevent relapse?
Previously we mentioned the two directions that a BUD can lead someone. The BUD UP or the BUD Down. In between these two directions there is a path know as The Reality Zone. This Zone has four specific ways listed to keep us safe in the Reality and provides a wall of protection from the fantasy world and the underworld.
One safeguard is Self-Examination
By regular self-examination, we can recognize the beginning of a build-up of attitudes that develop into a BUD. If we do this daily, to the point that it becomes second nature throughout the day, we will be able to surrender each negative attitude to God as quickly as it appears.
It is the nature of our flesh to deny our problems and to project the blame onto others. This habit pattern becomes especially strong in the midst of addiction. Because of our strong tendency to deny and project, we must pay close attention to these attitudes.
Self-righteousness and its opposite, self-condemnation, are the next highest tendencies that will lead us into a BUD. These attitudes are cover-ups for our problem of low self-value. They are closely linked to our deep-rooted fear of rejection, fear of failure, pride and bitter-root judgment. All these problems lie deep within our subconscious minds. They need to let God deal with us as He renews our minds.
What is the second safeguard to overcoming the BUD?
The second safeguard that protects us from relapse is prayer. Prayer is communication with God. Communication can take many forms.
Unfortunately, the last thing we want to do when on a BUD is to pray. But we can’t expect to have our negative attitudes and our deep-rooted negative beliefs renewed without the help of our Creator and Lord. If we allow Him, He will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
Prayer is the process of allowing God to renew our minds. Instead of simply going through the outward motions of religious performance because everyone expects that of us, we can utilize prayer to keep us in a continual personal relationship with God.
John 15:5 in the Bible says, “”I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. When we neglect prayer, we set ourselves up to stumble. Unless we abide in Him, we cannot have inner righteousness, peace and joy.
When we maintain our inner relationship with God through prayer, we can overcome any BUD that may come our way.
The fourth way to safeguard against relapse is through the Holy Spirit
God has given each Christian His Holy Spirit to live inside of them. Ephesians 2:10 says, “The Holy Spirit is always at work in us to perfect us for the task God planned for us since the foundation of the world.”
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can overcome a BUD.
The Holy Spirit
1- leads us into accountability, provided by relationships in the body of Christ.
2 – leads us to communicate and cooperate with the Lord in prayer,
3 – and leads us to examine ourselves in relation to the word of God.
