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.
Humility existed in me directly in proportion to my spiritual life which was completely blocked. Therefore, I had no real understanding of humility or anything, and that resulted in problems in every area of my existence, even after many years in AA. When we say that humility forms the basis for all the Steps, that means that I have to learn what each Step means, and how each relates to my self-life and to my life with others. So, for me, humility is a learning and learned process which can then be incorporated into my daily life. With that spiritual infusion, I have come to know peace within myself and to have a relationship with a Greater Power within myself.
ReplyDeleteMichael Without a humble spirit, one cannot recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. Many in Alcoholics Anonymous have shown that they can go years and even decades without drinking and have proved that one cannot drink and still suffer from untreated alcoholism by there behavior. An admission that we are alcoholic and then a surrender to a power greater than ourselves are necessary steps to receive a sense of humility...Thanks...Armand
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm deflating my ego through my relationship with and trust in God. There is no immediate deflation - and that can be aggravating in the beginning - being always very aware of my defects I am hard on myself because I know very well I'm processing my thoughts my way and letting my behaviors reflect my human nature. I cannot live truly and honestly when I do this and think this way. I cannot possibly practice humility when ignorance like this is present. So…I pray. I pray for help in offering myself, all of myself - the good, bad, ugly, dark, bright, the wholesomeness and the voids - to Him to do with me as He wills. I know in my heart and my soul that I have more light than dark, and I see the dark only because the light is strong that casts upon it. God, my sponsor, my prayers and having FAITH AND TRUST are what lead me to the light. Humility is surely the key to a deflated ego and, in turn, to a better life - a better life not living in my own will and my own reckless and sad nature - a better life, the best life, in which I can live in God's will through helping and being inspired by others. If I don't have humility, I cannot completely love or purely help anyone, and without the ability to do those things, I cannot live.
ReplyDeleteCaitlin loved when you wrote "humility is surely the key to a deflated ego and, in turn, to a better life." A life where anxiety, fear and resentment are part of our human nature but have no power over our emotions or behavior. A life where joy is experienced and love shared with those about us. A life where our thought process is no longer propelled by our human instinct but rather by the will of God through inspiration. A real life...Thanks so much...Armand
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