We come to A A because we desire to stop drinking alcohol and are unable to do so on our own. Alcohol severely impacts our lives, our minds, and our bodies. We discover through the program of Alcoholics Anonymous that alcohol, of itself, is not and was not the problem - it is but a symptom of the problem. The real problem with us as alcoholics (and addicts of any and all types) is self-centered fear. We are afraid we will not get what we want... and afraid to lose what we have.
When any of our human instincts are threatened we overreact until we make the decision in the Third Step of the program to turn our thoughts and our actions over to the care of God. Once we do this we are on our way to a serene and peaceful life. The integration of the remaining steps into our lives leads us to a life in which we are praying and meditating on a daily basis. When praying we ask only for the knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out. Remaining in that present state of mind, in the will of God, we do not drink. In God's hands all of our problems are solved.
God is the solution to the real problem. Once we are in His will we do not overreact when we think that our human instincts are threatened as we are trusting in His safety and serenity. May you find Him and his comfort now.
I never knew where the fear came from or why it existed deep within me. But it did. When I found AA, I knew that fear and drinking were a kind of cause and effect problem. Since drinking was no longer an option, addressing my unknown and unwarranted fears became essential to my recovery. After many years in AA, the answer became obvious to me: I had lived my life alone. Regardless of sober accomplishments, relationships, material achievements, there was a gaping absence between my efforts and my peace of mind. My human nature had done its job but I was simply out of energy. A personal relationship with the Power Within me was missing, disabling me from the joy of recovery. It was only by finally understanding and incorporating The Twelve Steps into my life that I began to feel the presence of the strongest certainty I'd ever known. That peace of mind and, therefore, joy was not the absence of problems in my life but the presence of God as I understand Him. The real problem has been met by The Real Solution.
ReplyDeleteMichael really appreciate your comment. The power of prayer and meditation before we begin our day is that we are brought into the present moment with God devoid of our thoughts concerning things that previously occurred and events yet to occur in our life. In that space, in the will of God, we are free of our self centered fear thus the real problem is solved...Thanks...Armand
ReplyDeleteThe Real Problem is me. I am owner of my illness. I am the entity which stores all troubles and problems pertaining to me and where all of said troubles and problems are borne from. My illness is my thinking. My illness plants seeds of weakness and of fear - fear that I am not OK and that I never will be unless I fret over and seek to fill the emptiness in which pain and abuse stem from. I am this, I am that....when really, I am nothing - without God. Without trust in Him that the problems of my world will be solved and the illnesses engraved in my heart will be healed, I cannot live a life, I can only keep on dying.
ReplyDeleteCaitlin alcohol is but a symptom of our true malady, our true malady is self centered fear. Afraid that we are not going to get what we want afraid that we are going to lose what we have. In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous it says "therefore the main problem with the alcoholic centers in the mind rather than in the body." So yes as you said so well "My illness is my thinking. My illness plants seeds of weakness and of fear." The solution for our illness is a vital spiritual experience and it is precisely as you say and begins to occur in the Third Step of Alcoholics Anonymous and that is that going forward our thought process will no longer be propelled by our human instinct but rather by the will of God. We must abandon ourselves utterly to God...Thank you so much...Armand.
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