Monday, February 26, 2018

Inspiration

In the chapter "Into Action" in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous it is written,

"In thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may not be able to determine which course to take. Here we ask God for INSPIRATION, an intuitive thought or decision. We relax and take it easy. We don't struggle.  We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while.       

What used to be the hunch or the occasional INSPIRATION gradually becomes a working part of the mind. Being still inexperienced and having just made conscious contact with God, it is not probable that we are going to be inspired at all times. We might pay for this presumption in all sorts of absurd actions and ideas. Nevertheless, we find that our thinking will, as time passes, be more and more on the plane of INSPIRATION. We come to rely upon it."
     
        It is in conscious contact with God that INSPIRATION may be received.  It is where a recovered alcoholic lives.
        INSPIRATION is defined in the dictionary as, "the thoughts of God implanted in the mind and soul of man."  When the thoughts of God are received in our souls we don't need to run them by our intellect, as we know immediately that they are the Truth. The question becomes, has our human nature surrendered to the will of God in this moment so that we are capable of receiving God's thoughts OR are our thought processes propelled by our human instinct?  A recovered alcoholic lives in and through INSPIRATION as their thought process is propelled by the will of God.

Written by Armand

7 comments:

  1. Inspiration, as I understand it, cannot be conjured, crafted, or intellectually conceived. It is a Gift akin to the Gift of life - imbued and implanted within me in the presence of a non-thinking feeling which has come to me only through The Power Within. That Power became awakened in me through the process of incorporating The Twelve Steps into my life in a way that they became my life. The Gift can only be kept alive by my giving it away each day. Nothing is more inspiring that giving away what I've been so freely given. While my human nature is going nowhere, it is no match for the deeper, divine nature within me and within all of us.

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  2. Michael inspiration is a way of life for a recovered alcoholic. it is life - freely given by God to those who are compelled to surrender their nature to the will of God...Thank you...Armand

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  3. If we are living in Gods will no matter how painful it can be to my ego to go against my will, then great things begin to happen. I was so used to living in self will that there was no room for God. Once I surrender and do what’s suggested remarkable things come to pass in the form of people and situations and I have to catch myself and smile knowing it’s the directvresult of doing God’s will. I cannot do this alone, I need the guidance of a sponsor to help me see clearly and know that there is another way.

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    1. Anne the will of God is the reality we were created to live...Thank you...Armand

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    2. Anne the will of God is the reality we were created to live...Thank you...Armand

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  4. Armand,

    "Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our "conscious" contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out... Although many of us in the rooms of AA fail to recognize it at first, the introduction to Step 11 is encountered in all of it's fullness at the end of every AA meeting when we recite The Lords Prayer. Even the most cursory attempt at contemplation upon these divinely delivered words begins to reveal the true mind, heart and will of an eternal God who's greatest desire is for our complete redemption as many of us, for the first time in our lives, humbly acknowledge His position, present our petition and agreement with His plan.

    It is no coincidence that when we join hands and pray in that corporate way that an indescribable peace seems to wash over the room. In that moment, all of our challenges doubts and fears fade to the background as He walks amongst us and for that brief moment all of the clamor and clutter that inhabits our lives looses its steely grip as our minds are focused solely on the Master. He continues to gently beckon us to seek out His inspiration through prayerful meditation on His Person and His Word. He delights and grows a constant prayerful conversation that, if we are willing, ever so subtly begins to posses every waking moment. Until, one day at a time, we eventually discover our very lives have become His prayer...

    A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholi

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    1. A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic pray always is the best advice I have ever been given...Thank you...Armand

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