Once much has been accomplished and an ample portion of the program of Alcoholics Anonymous completed, the personal relationship with and the dependence upon God take on much deeper and all-encompassing meanings.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
After decades in AA, I found exactly what you express. Through incorporating The Steps into my life, I found a personal relationship with The Power Within me which then touched my human nature in a way that enabled me to love me in this moment. Until that transformation occurred, I was without any power in any way. My energy was extinct yet my human nature forced me to fight every day in the neverending search for peace of mind. My experience is that there are no shortcuts, that we need not touch bottom repeatedly, that we must constructively and creatively interact with others as a practice of life. In doing so, both powerlessness and power will be revealed for what each really is. As I understand it, that is the essence of The Program of Recovery.
ReplyDeleteMichael the fight of the human nature that you express so well Michael, is our defense in an attempt to protect our self centered fear. Our Alcoholic illness. This exists in our human nature and this nature is what must be surrendered to the will of God. The power of it is exposed in our daily inventory showing to us that we must surrender more...Thank you...Armand
DeleteI struggle with discerning between God's will and when I should do the work or my will. I have been tremendously blessed in my life, which I am grateful only to God. Powerlessness creates in me an overwhelming emotional fear and self pity. The only way I can work through those terrible moments is to pray and the engage people, who share in the belief in the Creator, their advice. I usually can see the step I must take rather immediately. I have built up the confidence in this program to accept the next right step and not the entire blueprint of the new direction. That is tough for my ego to accept. It works and that is where the faith comes into it. I still have a lot of growing a head of me.
ReplyDeleteJim I tried to delete the above comment but for some reason the software did not work.
DeleteJim when we struggle for control in our experience with the world we are in our will. God's will is known when we stop ask and listen. If in conflict with are will we pray for His power to carry it out or simply surrender to it...Thank you...Armand
This Comment Is From A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic
ReplyDeleteArmand,
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 accepted 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 nagging appetites of my flesh. Steps 10 and 11 reflect the inward call and submission to sanctification and discipleship. Having accepted Gods call, His presence compels me 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 life 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 for the power to overcome the enemy of my soul. 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 program of Alcoholics Anonymous provides the necessary path to the surrender of our nature so as to recover through the grace of God...Thank you...Armand
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