Thereafter having admitted that I was alcoholic I soon found out that alcohol in and of itself was not my problem, but was the manifestation of my problem. The true problem was self-centered fear - afraid that I was not going to get what I want and afraid that I was going to lose what I had.In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous it says, "When dealing with the fear problem, or any other problem, perhaps there is a better way as we are now on a different basis, the basis of trusting and relying upon God. We trust infinite God rather than finite self. We are in the world to play the role God assigns. Just to the extent we do as we think God would have us do and humbly rely on God, does God enable us to match calamity with serenity. We never apologize to anyone for depending on our creator. We can laugh at those who think spirituality is the way of weakness. The verdict of the ages is that faith means courage. All possessors of faith have courage. They trust their God. We let God demonstrate through us what God can do. We ask God to remove our fear and direct our attention to what we should be doing. At once, we commence to outgrow fear."
The integration of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous into our lives leads to a personal relationship with God. Prior to that occurring, fear haunted all of our being, was in all of our moments, driving all of our decisions in an attempt to satiate our instincts. We were afraid that we were not going to get what we wanted and afraid that we were going to lose what we had. Today, in this moment, that can change. That will change for all of us if we are in alignment with God's will for us. We will then know a peace we have never before experienced.
Written by Armand
I've learned that fear is the "corrosive thread" that touches every part of me, present in every thing I do. I'm not certain whether healthy or reasonable fears exist for some people at some level. But all of my fears had one thing in common - they were self-centered to the extreme. After years of recovery in AA and by integrating The Steps into my life in such a way that they have become my life, I came to a spiritual understanding. My fears had always been rooted in the belief that I would either ultimately lose myself completely, or that I would never find myself peacefully. Today, I understand that notion to be the upside of self-centeredness, the center of myself expressed by me through The Power Within me. As The Big Book clearly states - "sometimes we had to search fearlessly for Him but He was there - deep down within us." The Great Reality.
ReplyDeleteMichael self centered fear is our illness...thank you...Armand
DeleteArmand,
ReplyDeleteWithout God, I wandered as a lost child through a carnival house of mirrors only to eventually become the same distorted image reflected in the glass. The very instant I surrendered to God I passed, not into a new world, but an entirely new dimension. Prayerfully, In His presence, is an instantaneous awareness that the old familiar self taught survival skills and situational ethics once relied upon to preserve a false flag adventure of one dimensional living must be forever abandoned. It was my willingness to accept His divinely inspired seeds of faith that casts out fear as my imperfect apprehension of that faith is refined in practice, one day at a time, through the fire of His perfect guidance and eternal love.
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic
A gratefully Recovering Alcoholic Life begins with the presence of God...Thank you...Armand
DeleteMy experince is self-centered fear is my main problem. I am trying to outgrow my fears and ask God to remove my fears and direct my attention to what he would have me be... I am moving forward, learning to trust God and find peace within myself, with others and with God. I am seeking God’s will for me and his strength and power to carry it out. I hope to live more fully in less fear and more faith. ����
ReplyDeleteJessica surrender your nature to Him and it will occur for you...Thank you...Armand
DeleteWe all suffer from fear. Fear is a natural instinct that helped keep men and women alive since the dawn of time. Our natural instincts are given to us by God for that specific purpose. But the Creator has also blessed us as the only natural being on this earth with a soul. It is the soul, the heart of our spiritual being, that allows us to participate in the spiritual world. Because we are alcoholics and the impact fear has on our thoughts and emotions, we are no longer capable of reacting to fear as normal people. That is certainly the case with me. The only defense I have from the first drink is a belief and the power I receive from God. I must work to develop my spiritual life every day. A maintenance program of my spiritual life is not enough. My alcoholism grows every day. My spiritual development must also grow if I am to not drink and continue a meaningful life in sobriety. My life must be transformed from the fearful human being I was when I drank, to grateful and obedient spiritual being that is possible for me to evolve. Humility, honesty, service to others and obedience to God is the way I must develop if I am to live with God in heaven for eternity.
ReplyDeleteJim In the will of God we will not manifest in our behavior the fear that exists in our nature...Thank you...Armand
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