Serenity is the absence of conflict in our thoughts. We who have committed ourselves to the program (the Twelve Steps) of Alcoholics Anonymous have deemed that it is the program itself which must come first in our lives. Alongside such a commitment comes a personal relationship with a supreme power, such as God. Living by these honorable ideals ushers the blessings of serenity into the stream of our lives - no matter what transpires.
In the Alcoholics Anonymous literature, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, such a paragon way of living is elucidated: "We are no longer frightened and purposeless. The moment we catch even a glimpse of God's will, the moment we begin to see truth, justice and love as the real and eternal things in life, we are no longer deeply disturbed by all the seeming evidence to the contrary that surrounds us in purely human affairs. We know that God lovingly watches over us."
By integrating the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous into our lives in such a way that they become our lives, and by manifesting the principles of those steps in our behavior, we have the opportunity to have serene and invulnerable lives. Remembering that joy is not the absence of sorrow, but the presence of God … experience serenity we will.
When I first found AA, I heard the phrase "attitude adjustment" to match the AA acronym. While I understood the clever connection, it occurred to me that something deeper had to occur in my life. I needed a change far more fundamental. Through the Twelve Steps, the Light began to shine - gradually then suddenly. As you point out, the Light was transformative if it shone within me and, therefore, in my thoughts and actions. From the spiritual dead zone of my past, I began to become enlightened to myself through The Divine Power Within me. I felt and continue to feel that peace and serenity. The Big Book states it perfectly as what was at first a "flimsy reed" becoming the loving "hand of God." The awareness of that affirmation is the underlying presence which has, in my life, led from chaos to peace of mind.
ReplyDeleteMichael A complete trust in God as evidenced by a life manifesting God's love in our behavior is a beautiful and serene life...Thank you ...Armand
DeleteExperiencing tastes of quietude and peace in my mind makes me hungry for more. This hunger is what keeps me alive...and useful. By going through the steps of Alcoholics Anonymous my purpose in life, once clouded by conflict and human desire, has been unveiled and my life proceeding uncomplicated. To listen, to love, to be patient, to clear the air of all hostility, vengeance, and remorse, to help when I see the opportunity to do so, to give and use all the gifts God has given me are, through prayer and inspiration, the elements of His will which thus far have been revealed to me. I have intelligence enough to open my mind and see more of what lies underneath my human surface, but the awareness of this ability has only been revealed by forgetting - forgetting all that I think of myself, of the notions I have of my world, my family, my emotions. By forgetting I create a space for serenity. By forgetting I develop the hunger for more goodness, the better Life, and a closer bond to God.
ReplyDeleteCaitlin A life lived in the will of God can only manifest love and goodness. This life is a life in which in this moment one has a conscious contact with God resulting in serenity brought about through humility and trust...Thank you...Armand
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