From page 85 of the 3rd edition of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous:
It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God's will into all of our activities. "How can I best serve Thee - Thy will (not mine) be done." These are thoughts which must go with us constantly. We can exercise our will power along this line all we wish. It is the proper use of the will.
What does this section mean to you?
Do you believe the bolded underlined sentence is true for you?
The underlined statement absolutely applies to me. On a good day, by my count I'll take my will back 5 times. On my bad days 20-25 times. These "bad" days are absolute drudgery for me and I'm afraid that I might have one of them at the wrong time which may kill me. Each morning I know that my day will go as well as I am spiritually, so I do all I can to turn my will over to God each and every morning.
ReplyDeleteSteve, You said it for me, too.
ReplyDeleteMaintaining a healthy spiritual condition keeps me from falling into despair or into "I don't care."
The issue for me is: what gets me connected and keeps me connected to God. It is the quest itself that keeps me alive spiritually. It is the seeking more than the finding. It includes asking questions, not being afraid to think new thoughts, trying new things.
It isn't a matter of being certain about religious stuff, or about having the right answers or believing the right doctrines and having everything settled. Rather what feeds my spirit is the adventure of the journey, learning to trust God more deeply while my thoughts are in a jumble or still in process. Because new ideas challenge me, I have to trust God more and not my own or inherited theological constructions. God sustains me in the questions, and on the journey and that living relationship keeps me connected.