The basis of all the AA Steps is humility and the spirit of humility is necessary as our egos must be deflated. Certainly admitting to our innermost self that we are alcoholic, learning to trust in God and making a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God were all steps on the road to humility. In the Fourth Step, identifying who we are and acceptance of that certainly was ego deflating and humbling. But for me, the biggest step in accepting humility, although not the last , was the Fifth Step where I share my Fourth Step list, the deepest darkest side of myself with myself, God and another human being. In the Seventh Step we are offering all of ourselves, the good and the bad, to God to do with us as God would have us do so that our human character defects will not manifest themselves in our behavior. Another step in humility occurs as we go out and make our amends reconciling the wrongs we have done in the past. And finally the Eleventh Step, where a recovered alcoholic resides, as we are praying only for the knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out, can only be manifested in a humble spirit.
It is humility which unlocks the door to the grace of God and only through a humble spirit may we recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. Humility is necessary.
I've discovered that humility is something I recognize in others, and am deeply attracted to it and to them. In myself, it is something I was unable to simply adopt develop, or locate. As you point out, fear had stimulated my ego to epidemic proportions. My ego had to be smashed to smithereens and it was. But that alone wasn't enough. My smashed ego had to find something to trust in order to diminish my fear and build a life based on peace of mind, not force of mind. Only in The Twelve Steps was I able to find a path to peace. And it is only by trusting in God's will for me that I receive that peace, and the power to carry out my life in a new way. The change has made me a happier person, less in charge of me.
ReplyDeleteMichael Humility is such an elusive state and I know that if I think I have humility, I don't but the willingness to know longer have our thought process propelled by our human instinct but rather to have our thought process propelled by the will of can only occur through a humble spirit and evidences a possessor of humility. Michael I have spent countless hours with you and I know you as well as anyone besides your family and I have always been struck by the humility you possess...Thank you...Armand
ReplyDeleteI believe you've identified the essence of Recovery. The silver thread that runs through The Big Book but remained unexpressed in my life for so long: that for as long as my thoughts are propelled by me, I am blocked from an awakened spirit. And only from the awakened spirit can my healing take place. Carl Jung said "it is what you are that heals you, not what you know." The program has awakened me to the awareness that I am not who I "thought" I was.
ReplyDeleteMichael The purpose of the Fourth Step is to find what is it about me that is blocking the grace of God from my life. Your statement "as long as my thoughts are propelled by me, I am blocked from an awakened spirit. And only through an awakened spirit can my healing take place," is a result of having done a thorough Fourth Step and integrating the program of Alcoholics Anonymous into your life...Thank You...Armand
ReplyDeleteLessons in humility, coming to terms with my powerlessness in the 1st. Step, the third step prayer, giving up of self. Admitting the exact nature of my wrongs in the 5th. Step, the humble plea to remove in the 7th. Step, making things right, the acceptance of my wrongs to my fellows no matter what the outcome in the 9th. Step. I have also found that in the 12th. Step while I'm taking someone through the Big Book and the process of the 12 steps occurs I am humbled by the transformation that is the miracle in front of me. The fact is that when I see this person in front of me being humbled to tears, I can't help but also weep for joy at being blessed to see Gods work in all his glory unfold not just in front of me but through me .i must praise and thank God for all of this . This miracle , this transformation, the rebirth of a life that went so wrong but has now been given another chance to be righted .God is everything . I humbly serve Him. My Lord & My God !
ReplyDeleteDon Who would have ever thought that humility would be something that we would seek in our lives...Thanks for your comment...Armand
ReplyDeleteI am still constantly trying to bring a stronger sense of humility to my life. Since I have fully come to terms that I suffer from an alcoholic mind. I know I must turn to a power greater than myself, to break down the walls of my self centered fear and bring humility into my life. It is far easier said than done but I know that everyday I am a part of AA I another day closer to possessing the humility I seek.
ReplyDeletePaul Coming to terms that you suffer from an alcoholic mind is a big step in the direction of humility...Thank You...Armand
ReplyDeleteThis post is from A Grateful Recovering Alcoholic
ReplyDeleteHumility As A Recovery Tool
Armand,
Throughout you're sharing you have teasingly pushed through the veil that so often confuses our "worker bee" mentality and "formula" thinking. For as you have eluded, true humility, as in all "fruits of the spirit," cannot be intellectually apprehended, emotionally understood nor duplicated when the "situation" calls for. And certainly doesn't occur by sheer force of will, as if we could somehow grit our teeth and declare to the world "By the grace of God I'm going to be humble today!". It is simply, yet profoundly a state of being... The fruit of which extinguishes the weakness in meekness and extracts the rage from courage.
As Don has joyfully witnessed, it only occurs as we spend time in the presence of the Master, prayerfully communing with Him, seeking out His will in every moment so that our very lives become a daily prayer and... ever so slowly, we begin to think the Masters thoughts and do the things the Master does as he progressively becomes the only object and destination of our journey.
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic
A Grateful Recovering Alcoholic You said "humility is simply , but profoundly a state of being." Well said my friend and for me this sate of being may only occur for me in the will of God...Thanks so much...Armand
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