Once much has been accomplished and an ample portion of the program of Alcoholics Anonymous completed, the personal relationship with and the dependence upon God take on much deeper and all-encompassing meanings.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." We, who have learned through our experience, know this can be accomplished through the practice of the Twelve Steps. Specifically it is in the Tenth Step, through daily examination, we uncover our character defects and their continuous manifestation in our behavior. Despite this action and reaction to life not being how and what we want it is still powerfully prevalent. It is here, in the conflict of not wanting to manifest our character defects in our behavior but POWERLESS over such occurrences that we are thrown back into Step One. There, in the midst of Step One we can see so very clearly how we are not only powerless over our use of alcohol and drugs but powerless over every single aspect of our lives. We had previously learned at a cognitive level that our lives must be given to the care and direction of God - but now, through our personal experiences, we can perceive this with more clarity and at a much deeper and consequential level.
It is in the taking of the daily inventory that we begin to fully understand the power and pervasiveness of our character defects encoded into our human nature. To overcome the manifestation of our character defects in our behavior we must subrogate our human nature and utterly abandon ourselves to the will of God. For it is in the infinite power and love of Him that we are healed.
Written by Armand
The manifestation of character defects is something with which I believe all of us are familiar to one degree or another. As an alcoholic, my grandiosity would have me assume that I possess my defects at a deeper level the non-alcoholic. Who really knows! But I am sure that the program of recovery wherein I incorporate all Twelve Steps into my life until they become my life will provide me with the non-human nature limitlessness of my super human nature, as expressed through The Power Within me. In the final analysis, it is how I feel that matters - far more that what I think. My experience, as you point out, is that life continues onward in small and big ways each and every day. The Tenth Step, however, is my assurance that life proceeds upwards at the same time regardless of its occurrences. That certainty provides joy and energy that, left to my own devices, I will never know. And I have no need to escape into the bottle.
ReplyDeleteMichael in many Spiritual traditions an honest look at ones very behavior has been occurring forever, Following through with the necessary remaining Steps will ensure ann awakened life...Thank you...Armand
DeleteArmand,
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 Gratefully recovering Alcoholic without God's grace my life what have ended or i would have spent in misery...Thank you...Armand
DeleteDear Armand,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this entry. I see very clearly that I am powerless over my character defects. I live life from a totally self-centered perspective. I am still very much struggling over HOW to subrogate my human nature and abandon myself to a God who I don’t know and, consequently, of whom I have no understanding. I don’t feel or know his love but it sure seems to me that I know people who do.
Noreen thanks for your comment. The fact that you are struggling shows that you are seeking. a very wise man once said "seek and you will find."...Thank you...Armand
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