The Big Book, on page 85, in the first paragraph, describes what we, in Solution Based Recovery., believe to be the essence of recovery. It says that, "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."
serve Thee—Thy will (not mine) be done. | |
In S.B.R, we believe this to mean that any other use of our will would be an "improper" use. The Big Book tells us that the proper use of our will is to seek and follow God's will, not our own, in every area of our lives. For example, in the Big Book on page 62, the Third Step prayer says, "'God, I offer myself to Thee—to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!' We thought well before taking this step making sure we were ready; that we could at last abandon ourselves utterly to Him."
What does it mean to "abandon ourselves utterly to Him?" We need to let go of our old ideas. The ones that say we have to work with all our might at solving our problems and behaviors. This is when we abandon ourselves utterly to God. In the truest sense of the words "absolutely" and "utterly," we follow God's will, not our own. Our old ideas are left behind. The Big Book, on page 58, says that "Some of us have tried to hold onto our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely."
Abandoning ourselves to God is a new idea for many of us. In the Big Book, on page 59, in the first paragraph, it says that, "Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandon."
will power along this line all we wish. It is the proper use of the will. | ||
This theme continues in the Big Book, on page 62, in the third paragraph. It says that, "This is the how and why of it. First of all, we had to quit playing God. It didn't work. Next, we decided that hereafter in this drama of life, God was going to be our Director. He is the Principal; we are His agents. He is the Father, and we are His children. Most good ideas are simple, and this concept was the keystone of the new and triumphant arch through which we passed to freedom."
In the Big Book, on page 87, starting in the bottom paragraph, the pioneers give us practical, "clear-cut directions" for abandoning our lives and our wills to God. They let us know exactly how to properly use our will. It says, "As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action. We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show, humbly saying to ourselves many times each day "Thy will be done." We are then in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry, self-pity, or foolish decisions. We become much more efficient. We do not tire so easily, for we are not burning up energy foolishly as we did when we were trying to arrange life to suit ourselves."
Sure, people judge us in addiction and recovery. But the point is, SO WHAT? We can't let the judgments of others stop us from shining our spiritual Light. And more importantly, we can't let the judgments of ourselves prevent us from shining our recovery Light. When we combine all of these elements of BOLDNESS, life begins to open up. We are being asked to be fearless before the danger of the unknown recovery program. To say a big YES to the adventure of our recovery, and then risk STANDING OUT, so that we can shine our recovery Light. This may be in the meetings or just in your family. Those of us who choose to grow tend to stand out, because all of a sudden our standards are higher and we won't accept the same crap that we did before. So we shake things up And that is scary. So, where in YOUR RECOVERY LIFE can you be fearless, adventurous and willing to stand out?
Sure, people judge us in addiction and recovery. But the point is, SO WHAT? We can't let the judgments of others stop us from shining our spiritual Light. And more importantly, we can't let the judgments of ourselves prevent us from shining our recovery Light. When we combine all of these elements of BOLDNESS, life begins to open up. We are being asked to be fearless before the danger of the unknown recovery program. To say a big YES to the adventure of our recovery, and then risk STANDING OUT, so that we can shine our recovery Light. This may be in the meetings or just in your family. Those of us who choose to grow tend to stand out, because all of a sudden our standards are higher and we won't accept the same crap that we did before. So we shake things up And that is scary. So, where in YOUR RECOVERY LIFE can you be fearless, adventurous and willing to stand out?
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