Step 8 & 9: Payback time! I owed the IRS BIGTIME!

Step 8 & 9: Payback time! I owed the IRS BIGTIME!

What can we learn from those who have battled addiction and then had to face the consequences of their past choices? This episode of GOD TALK UNCENSORED zooms in on Step 8 and Step 9 of the 12 steps, with Zach and his co-host Monty breaking down what it really looks like to make amends – not just to people, but to institutions too.

You’ll hear them walk through the wording of the steps: "Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all" and "Made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." From there, the conversation widens to include harms done to businesses, the police, and even the government.

Zach makes it clear that sometimes making things right might mean risking legal fallout, which is why he stresses the importance of having "a trusted sponsor to help walk you through that." The heart of the episode is Zach’s raw story about owing the IRS nearly six figures after years of "creative math" and justifying his actions because he didn’t like how tax money was spent.

He explains how an audit became "God's way of saying this is a perfect opportunity for you to be truthful," and how answering every question honestly led to a massive debt he could barely imagine paying while earning "10 bucks an hour" after losing everything. Yet the tone never sinks into despair.

Zach shares that, over time, he did pay the IRS back and found that making restitution to an institution was vital for his "wholeness and healing and trust in God." The message is simple and challenging: "Don't be afraid, you know God has a plan to restore you" and living honestly is part of that plan.

If you’re wrestling with old secrets, unpaid debts, or shame about past actions, could this be the nudge you need to start your own amends list?