Serenity is the absence of conflict in our thoughts. We who have committed ourselves to the program (the Twelve Steps) of Alcoholics Anonymous have deemed that it is the program itself which must come first in our lives. Alongside such a commitment comes a personal relationship with a supreme power. In the chapter How It Works in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous it says " that One is God, may you find Him now. . Living by these honorable ideals ushers the blessings of serenity into the stream of our lives - no matter what transpires.
In the Alcoholics Anonymous literature, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, such a paragon way of living is elucidated: "We are no longer frightened and purposeless. The moment we catch even a glimpse of God's will, the moment we begin to see truth, justice and love as the real and eternal things in life, we are no longer deeply disturbed by all the seeming evidence to the contrary that surrounds us in purely human affairs. We know that God lovingly watches over us."
By integrating the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous into our lives in such a way that they become our lives, and by manifesting the principles of those steps in our behavior, we have the opportunity to have safe and serene lives. Remembering that joy is not the absence of sorrow, but the presence of God … experience serenity we will.
Written By Armand
Written By Armand
Being able to manifest the principles of recovery in my behavior is a direct result of my thinking having changed. As you point out, my thinking was simply the output of my real problem, self-centered fear. My will, consequently, was simply the workhorse of that fear-based thinking. There is no easier, softer way around it. The only solution is the integration of all Twelve Steps into my life in such a way that they have become my life. And that is gift which has no parallel. To be relieved of deeply-rooted fear and have it replaced by serenity is to have been relieved of the burden of self which kept me blocked and unawakened. In that process, I have found me through The Power Within me.
ReplyDeleteMichael a life lived in fear is a self centered live. A recovered alcoholic includes others in their behavior in order to have a complete sense of a God given self... Thank you...Armand
ReplyDeleteThe biggest impact of AA in my life is I now have a way of dealing with my fears. God.
ReplyDeleteJim short but true... Thank you...Armand
DeleteArmand, Your post was beautifully written and spot on. I like what an old timer said; "I keep circling through the Steps until they become part of my DNA."
ReplyDeleteJohn
John Thank you for your kind words. The 12 Steps must become our life if we are to recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body...Armand
ReplyDeleteArmand,
ReplyDeleteAnything less than complete surrender of our entire personhood and spirit to the Person and Spirit of God in the 4th and 5th step shows that we are still under the delusion that we still somehow possess the leverage to negotiate the "terms and conditions of our surrender" allowing us to carry on with our lives as though alcohol or any other substance abuse issue was our only problem and were it not for that "daemon rum" life would be just dandy. However, much like a marriage, the purpose of executing these steps in the presence of either an AA sponsor or other spiritual advisor is to have a temporal witness to this deeply spiritual commitment that results in the birth of a new and eternal relationship between God, and in my case, man.
As long as this alcoholic entertains any thought or imagining that God eventually wants me to climb back into the drivers seat and direct life's tour would easily come under the definition of insanity and the basic foundation of the mental meanderings of a megalomaniac. It reminds me of the bumper stickers I've seen that say "God is my Co-Pilot". I want to run up to the driver and fervently encourage them to pry their fingers off the "wheel" and quickly swap seats, for although that type of thinking provides, in this case, a form of spiritual walk it completely lacks the Power of the Author and Finisher of the journey as we now mistakenly rely upon Him to accomplish our will with His power and inevitably experiencing all the frustrations and bumps along the way until we finally place the keys of our lives into His perfectly capable hands. Simply put, This recovering alcoholic, and I would humbly suggest any other, is incapable of generating the serenity spoken of in the Big Book. Never could, never will.
Serenity, is a gift of God to all who "humble themselves and seek His face and turn from their wicked ways", For then His eyes shall be open and His ears attentive to the prayers of this place. And thus, He says, "I shall grant you a time of refreshment". That, my brother, is serenity.
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic.
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic well said. As Bill says "it meant complete destruction of self."...Thank you...Armand
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