Step Four: Unlocking the Patterns That Keep Us Stuck

Step Four invites us to take a deeper look at our resentments and fears—not to shame ourselves, but to finally begin healing from the inside out.

“Step Four is important to unlocking the secrets to who you are and why you eat... Step Four gave us the background information and tools to break the cycle of compulsive eating.”— 12 Steps to Recovery from Overeating by Julie Kleinhans

Many of us have eaten to escape pain, to numb emotions, or to manage anger we didn’t know how to express. But Christ calls us to something greater: freedom.

This step is a loving act of self-examination. As we write out our inventory and invite God into our brokenness, we begin to understand the deeper reasons behind our struggles. We learn that we don’t have to keep eating over every emotion. We can forgive. We can heal. And we can grow.

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”— Psalm 139:23–24 (NIV)

Forgiveness doesn’t mean what happened was okay. It means we’re choosing to let God free us from the chains that have kept us stuck. And with that freedom, comes peace.

You don’t have to carry the weight of old wounds anymore. God is ready to meet you in this step—and lead you to the healing your heart (and body) has been longing for.

📖 Want more guidance through the 12 Steps from a Christ-centered perspective?

You can find my book, 12 Steps to Recovery from Overeating, on Amazon here:

👉 https://a.co/d/b59l7hh