U.S. Navy Seal Admiral William H. McRaven created a phenomenon with his “Make Your Bed” commencement speech at the University of Texas, on May 17, 2014. In his commencement address to the Class of 2014, Adm. McRaven, a graduate of the University of Texas-Austin campus, outlined ten keys to success based on the practices of the U.S. Navy Seals. The first he stated this way,
“If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”
The point is that success requires—demands, even—discipline and structure.
This ideal defines the His Way residential program. From the moment a resident enters the campus they notice the structure and rhythm of the program. The day starts at 7 a.m. with a devotional. Not at 7:01 or 7:02, or when it is convenient for you, but 7 a.m. sharp!
And the day continues this way—8 a.m. Bible class, 9:30 a.m. Life Skills class, and 11 a.m. Recovery class followed by lunch and then volunteer work from 1-4 p.m. Dinner is served promptly at 4:30 p.m., and evening classes begin at 6:15 p.m. exactly.
Be On Time
One of our most recent residents says numerous times per day, “Be on time!” His mantra is simply the rhythm and expectation of the program.
There is a key reason for this. The life of addiction is typically chaotic and disorganized. There is no rhyme or reason to the day. There is no intentionality to anything, which leads to failure, frustration, and depression. We desire to turn this ship around quickly with structure.
The vision is simple: If we can help create a scaffolding of structure to rebuild a man’s life—and he then allows himself to be trained by it—then he can carry it with him forever. The vulnerability of addiction is boredom and downtime, so always having a plan is the guideline for success.
Paul captures this principle in I Timothy 4:7,8:
“Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather TRAIN yourself for godliness; for while bodily TRAINING is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also the life to come.”
Everyone wants to succeed, but only those who train themselves for it will. It is not about wanting it (or even wanting it a lot), nor trying to achieve it or some passionate desire. It is about training.
His Way’s mindset from the very first day is about training. We are creating a pathway for success for every resident.
“We have little hope of experiencing spontaneous devotion apart from the unspectacular business of routine.” – Scott Hubbard
Healthy Habits for Success in Recovery
The initial habits of the first Christians are described in Acts 2:42:
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
These habits led to the radical expansion and maturity of those early believers, and I believe that still today these are the keys to continued spiritual growth.
Devotion to The Apostles’ Teaching
In Christ-centered recovery, this means a daily commitment to the foundational teachings of recovery found in scripture. This successful habit involves setting aside a regular time daily to read and reflect on the God’s Word. The best time is usually in the morning, before the activity of the day begins to invade your private thoughts, and also, in the evening, as you wind down the day and reflect over your experiences. Reading God’s Word in the evening is also a good way to quiet and set your mind for sleeping and preparing for the next day.
Later in Paul’s teaching regarding training he says,
“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.” (I Timothy 4:13)
Devotion to Fellowship
The word “fellowship” in the original language of the New Testament, Greek, is “koinonia,” which means “common.” It is where we get English words like community (common + unity), communalism, and even communism. The word “fellowship” describes a commitment to share life in common with fellow believers. Therefore, a key habit for recovery is regular and consistent involvement with others who are pursuing the same life. In Christ-centered recovery, this means regular active involvement with a church. The church is God’s original support group for spiritual recovery and growth.
Also critical is regular involvement with brothers who are pursuing recovery. Attending mutual support groups is critical. Groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Celebrate Recovery, and many others are essential for success. Active involvement in more than one meeting per week, plus developing an active relationship with a sponsor, will be key.
Two of the key needs are encouragement and accountability. Support meetings and relationships are essential for this in recovery success. Paul writes in I Thessalonians 5:11,
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
Breaking of Bread
This references the activity within the fellowship of eating and particularly participating in the remembrance of Jesus called the Lord’s Supper within the church community. Passages such as Luke 22:17-20; Acts 20:7; and I Corinthians 11:17-34 highlight the essential nature of participating in community by observing the Lord’s Supper as a critical vehicle for spiritual growth, connection, reflection, and maturity.
But also having meals with fellow travelers is a key aspect of mutual fellowship. I have always strategically planned lunches throughout the week to keep me strengthened and encouraged. I have consistently met with my son on Mondays, His Way leadership on Tuesdays, and graduates of His Way on Wednesdays. I also schedule for others during the week because eating together connects us.
Prayer
I Thessalonians 5:16-18 states,
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
So, what’s God’s will for us? Rejoice; Prayer; Gratitude.
Pray without ceasing, be constant in prayer, pray and never give up are key concepts throughout scripture.
Some residents have observed that we have prayed as a group four times in the day before 9 a.m.! And that doesn’t include meal prayers, personal prayers, and evening prayers! Prayer is foundational for Christ-centered success.
Start the day with prayer as if you are making your first morning phone call and then never hang up until you say good night. Be constantly in prayer!
Success Begins with Daily Habits
We are disciplined to participate in these daily activities throughout the His Way program with the hope that these habits will become personalized for every resident and that they will carry these habits into their successful futures.
Our graduations from His Way are always on the first Sunday of the month, so I always remind our guys that if your Monday after graduation does not look like your Friday before graduation, then you will probably need another application for the program.
When I ask men who return to the program what happened the answer is always the same. I quit doing what was working. That is not just the story of addiction but any life succeeding habit. Weight loss, exercise, medicine etc. Do not stop what works or you will quickly end up where you started!
Big successes happen with little, daily habits.
We check the residents’ beds every morning at 8 a.m. to make sure they are made.
“If you want to change the world (including yourself), start off making your bed.”