In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous in the chapter "How It Works" it says, "We are in the world to play the role God assigns." We, who have learned through our experience, know this can be accomplished through the practice of the Twelve Steps. Specifically it is in the Tenth Step, through daily examination, through which we uncover our character defects and their continuous manifestation in our behavior. Despite this action and reaction to life not being how and what we want it is still powerfully prevalent. It is here, in the conflict of not wanting to manifest our character defects in our behavior but POWERLESS over such occurrences that we are thrown back into Step One. There, in the midst of Step One we can see so very clearly how we are not only powerless over our use of alcohol and drugs but powerless over every single aspect of our lives. We had previously learned at a cognitive level that our lives must be given to the care and direction of God - but now, through our personal experiences, we can perceive this with more clarity and at a much deeper and consequential level.
It is in the taking of the daily inventory that we begin to fully understand the power and pervasiveness of our character defects encoded into our human nature. To overcome the manifestation of our character defects in our behavior we must subrogate our human nature and utterly abandon ourselves to the will of God. For it is in the infinite power and love of Him that we are healed.
Written by Armand
Lack of power, that was our dilemma. But where and how to find this power, those are the questions. Not who, or what, but where and how. Where: "sometimes we had to search fearlessly for Him but He is there, just as much a part of us as we are. The Great Reality is that This Power exists deep down within us, it is nowhere else where He may be found." How: how do we find that Power? "By practicing the remaining steps of this program as enthusiastically as possible." The where and how come directly from the basic literature of our AA Program of Recovery. The who and the what will be found in just the manner you delineate - by incorporating these steps into my life until they become my life. For me, acquiring this Power has been a process, not a thunderbolt. It has occurred by giving life to The Power Within me by being awakened to my own beauty through the action of all Twelve Steps. It is personal because He is within me and within all of us. Within my person, and aligned with my standards as a human being but beyond human. Divine. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteMichael once aware that God and His divine power reside within us, it that becomes easy to see that reality in others whether they are aware or not...Thank you...Armand
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The preceding steps have born witness to my birth into a new, personal and eternal relationship with God. I now know His name and having apprehended my powerlessness over my own defects of character through step 6, I seek out His power in step 7 with a practiced growing confidence that I can bring anything to His feet with the absolute assurance that He will provide me with all that I need to overcome the inborn defects of my nature and continue to walk in His will. Steps 10 and 11 are the inward call and practice of, discipleship. Having accepted this "call" I'm compelled to embrace the ongoing death of my old life through the resurrection and renewal of my newfound life in Christ through the continuous flow of the grace that He provides.
It is a dynamic living concept and as step 12 makes clear, implies multiplication. Although I once bristled at the mere mention of His name I now fervently seek out the Author and Finisher of my faith. In Romans Chapters 7 and 8, St Paul, who shared his instant struggles of powerlessness amidst temptation in his own singularly devoted life clearly explains this inward battle and ultimate solution.
Romans 7:21 " I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power* within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death."
It is a miraculously incomprehensible fact that the pure and holy God of all eternity Himself personally reaches out, initiates and finally completes this process to all who are willing to surrender to Him. To Him be the glory forever and ever, Amen...
A Grateful Recovering Alcoholic
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic the daily inventory morphs into an examination that occurs instantaneously as we are afforded through the grace of God to see as it occurs when we are manifesting our human character defects in our thoughts and possibly in our behavior...Thank you...Armand
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