In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous it says, "We shall describe some of the states that precede a relapse into drinking, for obviously this is the crux of the problem. What sort of thinking dominates an alcoholic who repeats time after time the experiment of the first drink.....therefore the main problem of the alcoholic centers in the mind rather than in the body."If our thought processes are propelled by the will of God rather than our human instincts we will not drink. Our character defects cannot manifest themselves in our behavior if we are in His will. Instead, our character has been perfected, as we are now the human being that God created us to be.
In THE FOURTH DIMENSION OF LIFE we become a human being that cares about others in such a genuine way. We become a human being that wants to help others. We think of other's needs before our own. In the Big Book it states, "Our very lives as ex-problem drinkers depends upon our constant thoughts of others and how we may help meet their needs."
We benefit in using all tools of recovery but, above all, we must turn from our human nature and live in the will of God. By doing so we will live a human life we could have only imagined we would. We will manifest THE FOURTH DIMENSION OF LIFE - a life free from the bondage of ourselves.
Written by Armand
ReplyDeleteEvery step is in the order it is for a reason and Step 11 is no exception. All are written in the form of a testimony, a collective deposition if you will, of the journey on the road less traveled by those who have gone before with a simple clarity seldom encountered in secular writings. For in A.A. I have learned to abandon every personal effort to "work" Step 11 as though it were a point on the "great check list of recovery" and simply surrender to His presence.
The journey itself is the destination. And through God's grace, a fervently desired resting place. It is; in its entirety, God's gift to everyone who is willing to embrace the immutable truth of His word and the undeniable Presence of His Person and began the moment I made a decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of God as I understood Him. Life, once a shallow shadowy series of lessons best forgotten is transformed into a never ending manifestation of joy and peace, as moment by moment He graciously provides the ultimate gift of His divine calling, that is, that my entire life becomes His prayer.
So as the psalmist I urge all to “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will bring it to pass… Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.” Yes, I am thoroughly convinced that the Creator of All continues to lovingly conform every aspect of my life into His personal prayer and vision for me as I fervently seek His still small voice, in the limitless fullness of His presence...
A Grateful Recovering Alcoholic
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic love when you wrote 'surrender to His presence."...Thank you...Armand
ReplyDelete"If our thought processes are propelled by the will of God rather than our human instincts we will not drink."
ReplyDeleteThat's it! Simple but not easy. Nothing simple is ever easy. It has required of me tremendous effort and concentration, which I have fallen many times. But every time I am knocked down I was given the strength to pick myself us by the Holy Spirit. Grace.
Jim anyone who says time doesn't matter in AA doesn't have any time. It takes a lot of experience to understand the power and pervasiveness of the human nature forcing us to surrender to the will of God completely and in an absolute way...Thank you...Armand
ReplyDeleteIf there is a First Dimension of existence, I believe that it is expressed in us in our original form as caring and loving human beings - the persons we were born as. By integrating all Twelve Steps into my life in such a way that they have become my life, The Fourth Dimension has re-united me with The First Dimension. I continue to become the person I was born to be. Each day I am presented with the opportunity to manifest that miraculous wholeness in my actions, attitudes, relationships and behavior. Each day I am further awakened to the wholeness of my spirit. I must give it away. And I do - with pleasure.
ReplyDeleteMichael in God's will we become Go givers instad of go gettere...Thank you...Armand
DeleteThanks for giving it away Michael! You make such a difference
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