So much has been accomplished and a good portion of the Program of Alcoholics Anonymous has been completed, but now the personal relationship with and the dependence upon God takes on a much deeper and all encompassing meaning.
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." I have learned through the Program of Alcoholics Anonymous that this may be accomplished through the practice of all the Twelve Steps and specifically by integrating Step 11 Into my life. But it is in the TENTH STEP, through daily examination, we uncover that our character defects continue to manifest themselves in our behavior even though this reaction to life is not what we want. It is here in the conflict of not wanting to manifest my character defects in my behavior but POWERLESS not too that I am thrown back into Step One. When this occurs I see clearly that I am not only POWERLESS over my use of alcohol but POWERLESS over every aspect of my human existence. I had previously learned that all my life must be given to the care and direction of God, but now through experience I perceive this with more clarity and at a much deeper level.
It is initially in the taking of a daily inventory which then expands into all of our waking moments that we begin to fully understand the pervasiveness of our character defects that are encoded in our human nature. To overcome the manifestation of our character defects in our behavior we must subrogate our human nature, and abandon ourselves utterly, to God - for it is in the infinite power and love of God that we are healed.
Written By Armand
As I began to approach and then integrate Step Ten into my life, I became acutely aware that the desire and the manifestation are often not confluent. Yet, more than anything, I wanted to be able to actually "be my message." In adhering to The Big Book program of recovery, it is possible to construct a life whereby the messenger and the message become the same, in fact, become one. In understanding (through alcoholic experience) what powerlessness over everything means, I now know that only through The Power Within me can I have the strength and direction I need to lead and enjoy a peaceful, contented life. Lack of power, that was my dilemma. But as The Big Book teaches us, we can find exactly where and how to find this power. It is in Step Ten where I can follow the path that was lighted for me by the integration of all Twelve Steps into my life. This can be done in such a way that the program of recovery can actually become our lives. As I understand it, this is recovery from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body.
ReplyDeleteMichael the 10th Step clearly shows us whether we are in our human nature or our Spiritual nature. When we manifest our character defects in our behavior we know that we must surrogate ourselves to the will of God...Thank you...Armand
ReplyDeleteArmand,
ReplyDeleteThe 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. I love God’s law with all my heart. 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. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 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. 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 Grateful Recovering Alcoholic the program of Alcoholics Anonymous has in place the Steps necessary to remain free of self living in the will of God...Thank you...Armand
DeleteI love when you made the pivot in our initial realization of our being powerless over alcohol to realizing we were really powerless over our human instincts. As you say many times, alcohol is but a symptom of our true malady which is self-centered fear of what we are going to lose or what we will not entitled. My ego had taken complete control of my thoughts and emotions. Even when I was early in my recovery, my life was still miserable until I was able to complete Steps 4 through 9 with my sponsor as outlined in the Big Book. Step 10, which is a daily process, I must go through in order to ask for God's grace properly in Step 11. And in Step 12 we are receiving the benefits of the Holy Spirit by allowing ourselves to be a conduit for others. I only receive the power I need by being obedient to the program as outlined. Learning to move my focus from the human experience to the spiritual life is a discipline I must do as the original 100 founders laid out. Obedience, humility and discipline are not very popular things we strive to achieve because they dont fit the worlds opinion of how we are to live our lives these days. But if you believe this human experience is only temporary, we achieve true freedom when our goal is to witness the face of God.
ReplyDeleteJim a life lived with our thought process propelled by our human instinct led us to the place where we had to surrender our nature to the will of God in order to survive and then to fully live...Thank you...Armand
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