What Does Serenity Mean? | Serenity Prayer

If you have participated in a recovery program, such as AA, NA, or Celebrate Recovery, you are likely familiar with the Serenity Prayer. Often said at the end of a meeting, this prayer is meant to refocus those in recovery on their Higher Power or, more specifically, God. The Serenity Prayer reminds us that we are powerless on our own and are in need of God’s help in recovery. But how do we take the words of this prayer and apply them to our daily lives? Let’s look at what serenity means and the impact it has on your recovery.

Finding Peace

“When I finally understood the difference between things inside and outside of my control, I began to experience a life characterized by peace.”

Living in a state of serenity guides us towards acceptance, courage, and wisdom. Serenity is characterized by a state of peace, and the first section of this prayer outlines a pathway to feeling calm despite circumstances. Life is full of uncertainties and things we can’t control, and accepting this helps limit sources of frustration. However, there are times when we have the ability to change aspects of our lives. 

When that is the case, it takes courage to pursue a different path. In recovery, we are striving to make positive changes to better ourselves, but that’s not an easy choice to make. It takes strength from God to alter our ingrained habits. We also need wisdom to differentiate between the things we can and cannot change. If we spend our energy trying to resolve situations outside of our control, we only set ourselves up for disappointment and frustration. Asking God for guidance in determining areas we can shift our thinking or behavior ultimately sets us on a path toward serenity.

Serenity by Living in the Moment

“I spent so much of my life worried about the things I did in my past and what may come in the future. I didn’t realize how much this affected my ability to appreciate what was in front of me.”

Anxiety is rooted in a fear of the future, and depression is a negative focus on events of the past. Living life outside of the present moment creates an opportunity for negative emotions to take hold of our lives. It’s a natural desire to plan for the future or look forward to things coming up in life. But this focus can prevent us from seeing the positive things in our present lives. Similarly, we all have done or experienced things in the past that stick with us. While it’s important to process through and make amends for our past, dwelling on those thoughts and experiences inhibits our appreciation of the good of today and keeps us from true serenity.

Serenity in Trusting God

“I thought I trusted God to make right the wrongs in the world, but I often found myself taking matters into my own hands.”

Since the Garden of Eden, sin has been an unfortunate reality in the world we live in. Living in a sinful world means there is a continual battle between good and evil, and we rarely have control over these forces. While we make choices daily based on what we believe to be right, God gave everyone the ability to choose if they will pursue a path of righteousness. Unfortunately, there will be many people who decide to live a life guided by selfish desires, and this can negatively affect us. Serenity comes when we are willing to put our trust in God and believe that he will make all things right in His time. When we are hurt by someone, it’s easy to want to seek out personal justice. While there are times when this is legally necessary, in other moments, God may be asking us to trust His sovereignty.

Finding Happiness

“I know that even my most joyful moments pale in comparison to the true happiness found in eternal life.”

When you think about a joyful memory in your life, you may remember time spent with family, a new job or home, a wedding, or the birth of a child. These moments can bring a level of happiness and serenity you may have never experienced before. It might even feel like life couldn’t get any better than what you felt at that time. Those feelings tend to fade over time, despite our best efforts to preserve the memories, and we wait for the next pivotal experience. Our happiness on earth can last despite circumstances, but even the happiest events in life can’t compare to the pure joy available to us in the Kingdom of God. This hope we have for our future comes when we are willing to surrender our desires to God and allow Him to have control over our lives. When we pursue a life surrendered to Him, we experience serenity unlike anything we have ever known before.

Serenity in Recovery

Living a life dedicated to recovery will bring challenges. There are going to be things outside of your control and hardships that come your way. As you navigate the path toward sobriety, you may feel overwhelmed by the road ahead. At Celebrate Hope, we provide the support you need to achieve and maintain your sobriety, rooted in the hope of Christ. Our faith-based addiction treatment center in Orange County, California allows you to address the root issues related to your substance use disorder both in individual and group settings. If you’re looking for a rehab experience where faith is an integral part of your healing, contact us today. 

Further Reading:

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The Origin of the Serenity Prayer: A Historical Paper. Reviewed July 30, 2009.

Why Do We Celebrate Thanksgiving?

You may know the usual story of Thanksgiving. In 1621, the Plymouth colonists joined with the Wampanoag Native Americans to share an autumn harvest feast and that was the beginning of our traditional Thanksgiving celebration. The event became a national holiday in 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln declared it so, in the midst of the nation’s Civil War. In recovery, though, why do we celebrate Thanksgiving? Why do we count our blessings as we recover from an addiction?

Counting Blessings

How do you count your blessings at Thanksgiving and throughout the year? Going through treatment for an addiction to drugs or alcohol is not easy. You may have struggled to overcome your addiction, particularly if you had been living in addiction for some time. Knowing that you are now on your journey to recovery, though, is a huge blessing in your life.

One of the best ways to show your gratitude is through prayer. Expressing thanks through prayer reminds you of the blessings you are enjoying in recovery. Prayers of gratitude have also been linked to positive health outcomes. Mostly, prayer shows that you acknowledge your blessings as you live your life in recovery.

How Do You Celebrate Thanksgiving?

Beyond the meal and possible family gathering, there are many ways to practice “thanksgiving” in a real and meaningful sense in recovery. You can express thanks for simply being alive. In addition to prayer, spend some time each day meditating on the positive things that are going on in your life now. Do you have shelter and food? Are you making progress toward moving your life forward in a positive way?

Do you have a supportive network of friends and family members? Do you have the support of your treatment professionals? Express your thanks to these individuals in person or with a written note of gratitude. You can even “pay it forward,” expressing your gratitude to those who have helped you by doing something that will help another individual.

Consider what your life was like in addiction. Then focus on the positive of what your life is like now, in recovery. When you have the opportunity to walk in the fresh air and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you, say a prayer of thanksgiving. When you are able to sleep through the night and feel rested the next morning, express your gratitude on awakening. When you can enjoy a meal, such as a Thanksgiving feast, with supportive family and friends, tell each of them how much you appreciate them.

Gratitude in Recovery

Gratitude is one of the foundational principles of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). One of the Daily Reflections reads, “It is very important to keep in a grateful frame of mind if we want to stay sober.” Stories in the Big Book include one called “Gratitude in Action.” The social support encouraged by AA, which helps you develop important bonds in recovery, is formed by gratitude. Giving thanks can actually help keep you sober.

When you celebrate thanksgiving in its true sense recovery by expressing your gratitude to God and to those individuals who help and support you, you change the negative thinking that used to be a big part of your life in your addiction. Your sense of well-being is improved. You stop comparing yourself to other people and focus on the positives in your life now.

Benefits of Gratitude

There are many mental, physical, and emotional benefits of giving thanks. When you celebrate thanksgiving by showing your gratitude daily, you will see measurable positive effects on your life in recovery.

Being thankful can boost your immune system. When you are positive and focus on your overall sense of well-being, you reduce your stress level. That stress has been shown to lower your immune response but increased mental well-being can help you fight off illnesses. Practicing gratitude has even been shown to potentially reduce the risks associated with diseases such as heart failure.

Gratitude can improve your mental health. One study has shown that expressing thanks for the positives in your life can help ease the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Gratitude has been linked to improved mood overall, as giving thanks fosters positive feelings and contributes to a sense of well-being.

California Faith-Based Drug Addiction Treatment

Please contact Celebrate Hope to learn more about our faith-based addiction treatment program. Our team helps men and women break the cycle of addiction and begin anew, moving their life forward in a recovery filled with gratitude for their newfound blessings. We rely on the teachings of Jesus Christ, along with evidence-based therapies to get individuals on the path of recovery.