The basis of all 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous is humility, the spirit of which is necessary in keeping our egos deflated. 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 are all steps on the road to humility. In the Fourth Step, identifying who we are and acceptance of what that means is both ego-deflating and humbling. As for myself, the most paramount of steps in which I accepted humility was the 5th Step, during which I shared my 4th Step - the deepest, darkest side of myself - with myself, God and another human being.In the 7th Step we offer all of ourselves, the good and the bad, to God - to do with us as He would do so that our human character defects do not manifest themselves in our behavior. Another step in which humility occurs is the 9th Step,as we go out and make our amends, reconciling the wrongs we have done in the past. And finally the 11th Step, in which recovered alcoholics reside, praying only for the knowledge of God's will and the power to carry that out. All of these steps can only be performed and will only be successfully taken with a humbled spirit.
Humility unlocks the door to the Grace of God. Only through such a humbled spirit may we recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body - making humility absolutely necessary.
Written by Armand
Lack of humility characterized my drinking years, and lack of understanding of humility characterized many of my sober years. Humility was something I viewed as a penance, "a forced feeding of humble pie." As you point out, in reality humility is the necessary ingredient in the acquisition of the grace available to me in leading my daily life. The awareness that fully incorporating all Twelve Steps into my life will yield a personal relationship with The Power Within me is the ultimate calling. Life provides the opportunity and The Program of Recovery provides the solution. I needed a knowing sponsor who walked the walk in order to see my own ego-based, prideful limitations, and to move closer to the person I was born to become. The idea of giving it away in order to keep it is the certain joy of living a peaceful, useful life. I believe that is humility in its ultimate sense.
ReplyDeleteMichael my life was based on a view of what I thought the world needed to see in me so I could feel good about myself. As you mentioned by incorporating the !2 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous into my life in such a way that they became my life allows me to be the human being God created me to be - a humble servant to Him and those around me...Thank you...Armand
ReplyDeleteThis Comment Is From A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic
ReplyDeleteAnything less than the "complete surrender" of ourselves, that is, mind, body and spirit to the Person of God in the 4th and 5th steps will leave us still living the delusion that we continue to somehow possess the leverage to negotiate the terms and conditions of our "recovery" allowing us to carry on with our lives as though alcohol or any other substance abuse issue was our only problem and were it not for that "daemon rum" life would be just dandy. However, much like a marriage, the purpose of executing these steps in the presence of either an AA sponsor or other spiritual advisor is to have a temporal witness to this deeply humbling spiritual commitment. It is the surrender to God in the presence of another that makes the "talk" a "walk" and propels us through the birth pains of a new, right and eternal relationship between God, ourselves and all of His creation...
As long as this alcoholic entertains any thought or imagining that God desires that I to climb back into the drivers seat and direct life's tour would easily come under the definition of insanity and the basic foundation of the mental meanderings of a megalomaniac. It reminds me of the bumper stickers I've seen that say "God is my Co-Pilot". I want to run to the driver and fervently encourage them to pry their fingers off the "wheel" and quickly "swap seats", for although that type of thinking provides, in this case, a form of "spiritual" walk it completely lacks the Power of the Author and Finisher of the journey as we now mistakenly begin to rely upon Him to accomplish our will with His power. A desperately destructive arrangement until we finally place the keys of our lives into His perfectly capable hands.
Simply put, This alcoholic is incapable of self-generating the serenity spoken of in the Big Book. Never could, never will. The serenity that is a product of true humility is a gift of God only given when we "humble themselves and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways, For then His eyes shall be open and His ears attentive to the prayers of this place." And thus, He says, "I shall grant you a time of refreshment". That, my brother, is serenity.
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic.
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic humility is the core of all the Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and leads to a surrendered life lived in the will of God...Thank you...Armand
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