In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous it says, "When we encountered A.A., the fallacy of our defiance was revealed. At no time had we asked what God's will was for us; instead we had been telling Him what it ought to be. No man, we saw, could believe in God and defy Him, too. Belief meant RELIANCE, NOT DEFIANCE. In A.A. we saw the fruits of this belief: men and women spared from alcohol's final catastrophe. We saw them meet and transcend their other pains and trials. We saw them calmly accept impossible situations, seeking neither to run nor to recriminate. This was not only faith; it was faith that worked under all conditions. We soon concluded that whatever price in humility we must pay, we would pay."Written by Armand
As both The Big Book and The Step Book point out, my self reliance was the direct result of my unwanted/unwarranted fear. In not being able to trust anyone or anything, I was left to rely on unreliable, untrustworthy me. I was in extreme fear disguised as justifiable pride. I drank. It was only by integrating all Twelve Steps into my life that I began to trust (Step Two), and that I came to know and understand the pure power of Reliance and its healing presence through The Power Within me. That awareness changed the course of my life from the prison of defiant self to the freedom of reliant self. Paradoxical, counter-intuitive and true.
ReplyDeleteMichael you supplied the problem and the solution...Thank you...Armand
DeleteArmand. For me reliance on God has been learning to live a God Guided life. The Fourth Practical Spiritual Activity of the Oxford Group is GUIDANCE. The Four Practical Spiritual Activities of the Oxford Group forms the backbone of the Twelve Step Program. Let me quote from "What is the Oxford Group" on Divine Guidance; " Divine guidance to a life changed from Sin to God is the Holy Spirit taking a normal intelligence and directing it in the fullest harmony with His will for the good of the individual and his neighbors." I found that understanding in depth the Oxford Group's Four Practical Spiritual Activities enriches my understanding of The Steps. Best, John
ReplyDeleteJohn thanks for the link between the two groups...qarmand
DeleteTo get the book WHAT IS THE OXFORD GROUP? Google What is the Oxford Group and it will take you to a PDF file and you can down load the book and print out the book. I do not think the book is in print. WHAT IS THE OXFORD GROUP? was written in 1933 by a Layman With a Notebook.
ReplyDeleteJohn Thanks....armand
DeleteArmand,
ReplyDeleteAnother great topic from the Big Book and you’re spot on.
Wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy and last but not least, gluttony. Each represents the essence of unrestrained human nature. All find their foundation in a self-worship that perverts the otherwise healthy instincts that God has provided for us to survive and flourish in this world. None can be completely abandoned by anything short of a miracle, for what is impossible for mankind is remarkably easy for God. This was the bucket of muddy water I carried through the doors of AA, and were it not for a crippling and overwhelming sense of desperation I would never have crouched low to enter through that narrow 12 Step gate.
Truly, God Himself had been walking beside me all along, even during the most depraved events of my prodigal journey. Loving and reaching out past my every act of unwavering defiance. His only one desire for me? That I surrender to His unspeakable love, accept the price he paid for me and invite Him to dwell within my heart. The 12 Steps and fellowship of AA brought into crystal clarity the divine plan I consistently rejected, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, freely offered to all who would receive it. I had rejected God for the self-centered fear of loosing what I thought I possessed and never possessing what I thought I desired.
And having received Him, I have been invited to be a partaker in all that His Presence provides; true love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I am yet no perfect practitioner or receiver of these virtues that are the essence of the serenity He provides… But just for today, I continue to pray that I will more clearly see His Presence in this world, in circumstances, in people, in the new person He is creating in me and celebrate the new life He is creating in others! Lord, I want to start this day with a pure heart so that I will experience more of the wonder of Your grace and goodness.
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic..
A Gratefully recovering Alcoholic anyone who says time does not matter in AA doesn't have any time. It takes time to understand the power and pervasiveness of the human nature however those experiences propel us to a more complete surrender with each passing experience,,,Thank you...Armand
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