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
In the program of recovery, I have learned that serenity is an outcome. It comes out of/is the result of a spiritual process. For me, that process did not have to mean solely engaging in conventional prayer. Instead, it meant integrating all Twelve Steps into my life in such a way that the presence of serenity became available to me as a way of living. As you point out, first and foremost serenity is the absence of conflict in my thoughts. That does not mean the absence of conflict in my life. The difference in the distinction points to the difference in my human-only nature and my fully-divine nature. In Step Eleven, I am able to understand the power of that distinction through conscious contact. I know it when I feel it; It is unlike any other feeling in my experience. Confluence not conflict through the presence of The Power Within me.
ReplyDeleteMichael 'joy is not the absence of sorrow but the presence of God."...Thank you....Armand
ReplyDeleteArmand,
ReplyDeleteAll 12 Steps of AA clearly point out only one pathway to the serenity promised within it’s pages. That pathway is, a surrendered relationship to God.. Anything less than the complete surrender of our entire personhood; heart, mind, spirit and soul to the very Person and Spirit of God in the 3rd, 4th and 5th Steps 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 “new" lives as though alcohol or any other substance abuse issue was our only problem and were it not for that "daemon rum" life would have been just dandy. The entire, 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 ultimate 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 entertained any thought or imagining that God desired that I remain, or eventually climb back into the drivers seat and direct life's tour would easily come under the definition of the insanity spoken of in Step 2 and the basic foundation of the mental meanderings of a megalomaniac. The 12 Steps of AA clearly proclaim that any other form of pseudo "spiritual walk” or “ journey to “ enlightenment" 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 eventual 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 entirely incapable of generating the serenity spoken of in the Big Book. Never could, never will.
Serenity, is the 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 their prayers. And thus, He says, "I shall grant you a time of refreshment". That my brother, as you so very well know, is a state of being that once given through our expressed relationship with God no longer needs to be sought out. That alone is true serenity.
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic.
ArmandMay 11, 2020 at 12:29 PM
DeleteA Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic the surrender to God must be complete and in an absolute way. The back half of the 11TH Step says "praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the Power to carry it out...Thank you...Armand
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