As I began the fourth step of the program of Alcoholics Anonymous I faced the four column inventory of my resentments, fears and sexual conduct. My sponsor suggested that I begin to pray for and forgive all of those on all of my lists. In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous there is a prayer for each of these lists - three prayers in total.The Eighth Step of Alcoholics Anonymous, "Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all," is yet another chance to pray for and forgive all those on all of my lists and to begin doing the same with any new situations that may arise. We are already in possession of an Eighth Step list - extracted from our Fourth Step inventory. As we begin to pray for and forgive we are also making a beginning on Steps Eleven and Twelve.
Prayer and forgiveness are essential tools if we are to recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body We learned in the Fourth Step that resentments toward others is the number one offender to a relationship with God, as we are called to love all, although we are never to be accepting of evil.
The Eighth Step provides for us ANOTHER CHANCE TO PRAY FOR AND TO FORGIVE all those on our lists. This is necessary in order to bring the Spirit into our Ninth Step amends.
Written by Armand
Armand,
ReplyDeleteHaving received complete forgiveness at the feet of the Father of Light through Steps 4 and 5 we are now given the incredible opportunity to become a partaker of the infinite mercy and love that God has, not just for us, but for all of his creation. We ponder the gateway found in the Lords Prayer " And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others who have trespassed against us."
We have made a decision to identify and relinquish the primitive survivor skills that we once believed were absolutely necessary to sustain our existence. It is here that we rediscover deeply held resentments we use as justification for misplaced malignant attitudes and actions which must be rooted up and exposed to the continuous cleansing power of Gods Light and Love. As we prayerfully continue to review our past encounters we come to understand that many with whom we hold a grudge were merely acting in kind in order to avoid their own desperately fearful demise.
As we continue to plumbs the depths of Step Eight we soon begin to experience true empathy and forgiveness towards those once perceived to be our "enemy" and as we separate their desperate actions from their wounded personhood we can now pray rightly for them to receive the freedom and peace of an eternal relationship with our, and their, loving Father. Now we become partakers in the ministry of healing that God would provide to others as He seeks to heal the last scars that we, in our selfishness, had carved into the fragile spirits of so many lives. It is in forgiving others as we have been forgiven that we truly begin to apprehend the fullness, depth and all encompassing expanse of God's personnel forgiveness of our sins. It is here that we can begin share that all forgiving love with others, except when to so would cause them harm.
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic the forgiveness that God has shown us is our call to do the same for others...Thank you...Armand
DeleteThe Eighth tells us that "nearly all of our immediate woes including our alcoholism" were as the result of defective relationships. How do I know if my relationships were defective throughout my alcoholism? The answer is simple: if I were part of that relationship it was automatically defective. So yes, I must pray for, forgive, make peace with anyone and everyone on my Fourth Step List. Without doing so, I will never be able to forgive myself, and I will continue to re-create the past. I will not be free. I will not have the spiritual experience that I agreed to go to any length to find. I will hobble through life and never peacefully exist in the realm of the spirit. The Eighth Step is the chance of a new lifetime, brought about only by incorporating all The Steps into my life in such a way that I will find the opportunity to live at the highest level possible, regardless of my dark past. I will live in the Light.
ReplyDeleteMichael forgiveness of ourselves and others is such an integral piece on the path of spirituality...Thank you...Armand
DeleteI never realized how much freedom there is in forgiveness. In forgiveness I practice how to let go. It is my attachments to resentments, fears and character defects that blocks me from the grace of God. The 8th Step prepares me to let go and receive grace. It relaxes me and helps me remove my ego from my motivation before my amends as in the 9th Step. Like a batter before stepping into the batters box, I am totally concentrated on freeing myself of baggage and expectations. I am just an empty container ready to be filled with God's love and grace. It doesn't matter what the person says or does because I know God is now able to live in me.
ReplyDeleteJim live the idea of letting go to receive grace...Thank you...Armand
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