Alcoholics Anonymous is a faith-based program but not tied to any specific religion or denomination. Today there are a variety of 12-step programs that help addicts of all types find freedom from their bondage.  Most of the 12-step concepts are found in the Bible.  

Step four involves taking a fearless moral inventory of oneself.  I think most of us, at some point, do this whether we have an addiction or not.  What I was asking the Lord was similar, but I wanted His perspective.

From the journal . . . . May 1999

Lord, I want to hear from You.  Is there sin in my life that I’m not tending to or even aware of?

Psalm 139:23-24. Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
²⁴ And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

And I Believe God Said:

Your heart has some hard places.

Lord, why is that?

You aren’t asking, “what are those places?”

Well Lord, I suspect it’s too pervasive.  All over me like a rash.  But okay, what are they?

You have critical spots and skeptical spots.  Cynical spots.  Ego spots.  Jealousy and pride spots.  Defensiveness and fear.  Selfishness and conceit.

Yes Lord.  I accept that as truth.  It’s not fun, but okay.  Ten spots! Lord, help me! Soften my hard spots.  I know I shouldn’t compare with others, but I know that others have some of those same spots and some are worse. Yet, knowing that doesn’t lessen my sin. 

That apparently was enough for one day.  The next day I wanted more.

From the journal the next day:

Lord, is there more You have to say to me about yesterday and my hard spots?    

And I Believe God Said:

You wonder how they got there and why you have them.  In time you will know but recognizing the spots are more important.  The enemy targets those areas and you need My full armor to protect you. 

Eph. 6:11-18  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, NASB

He not only wants to hurt you and Me, but he wants to use you to spawn sin in others.  You have sinful habits that we are going to work on.  Your part is to recognize and confess.  AA calls it a fearless inventory. 

Romans 5:8  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. NASB
John 14:3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. NASB

I long for the time we will be together without the sin issue but until then – we can be together on earth.  Hate sin but don’t be afraid.

Matthew 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Ps 97:10 You who love the Lord, hate evil! NASB

Only God knows how I am doing on these sin spots.  I feel better about my progress than I did when this was first revealed.  Since the areas were identified it has been easier for me to recognize them when they creep in.  The next step of course is confession and repentance. It has not been as horribly painful as it sounds because I sincerely agree with God’s judgement, and I want to please Him.  He not only already knows my heart and my shame, but He has already paid the consequence of my sinful condition. I have been redeemed and I want to live it!  So, I receive His incomparable mercy and keep trying to take hold of that which He has taken hold of me!   

Phil 3:12-14 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. ¹³ Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. NASB

And even though I fail so often to be what He wants me to be, I will not give up.  

I press on toward the goal!