Passionately Desperate for Change

Step Seven of AA of 12 - Spiritual Principles to Recovery -Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.

2nd Corinthian 12 vss 7 – 10 especially vs 9

⁷ And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

⁸ For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

⁹ And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

We are building on Step 6 from our last lesson. It said Step 6 - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character . Step 7 - Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings

When we have hurt enough and passionately desperate enough we will do whatever it takes to get our lives back.  When we have worked Step 6 and declared we are entirely ready to have God remove all the defects of our character, we step it up a notch by asking god to remove them.

If we could have fixed ourselves, we would have already done it.  Because we cannot, we seek that power greater than ourselves that brings us hope for change. We ask God to do what only God can do.

Join me Sunday for the Teaching Ministry of New Eden as we share how God deals with our defects of character.

Step Six

"Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character."

Psalms 51 vss 2 – 12 ² Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. ³ For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. ⁴ Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. ⁵ Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. ⁶ Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. ⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. ⁸ Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. ⁹ Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. ¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. ¹¹ Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. ¹² Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

After working the first five steps, it is time to move on beyond our character defects that have prompted the challenges in our personal lives and our relationship.  Now, that our minds are clearer and we have the potential to move beyond the ugliness we have created. We make another startling discovery.  We cannot do it by ourselves.  We need help beyond our abilities.

We need help from the creator master blueprint maker grand architect of the universe to retool and redesign ourselves to live without our character defects and learn to live life beyond them.

Join me Sunday for the Teaching Ministry of New Eden to further explore Step Number Six if you are ready to have God remove all your defects of character.

Learning How to Trust - Step 5 of the 12 Spiritual Principles

The 5^th Step of AA in our Series 12 Spiritual Principles to Recovery call on persons committed to the process of recovery to venture into the behavior of trust.

According to Reece and Brandt’ Work, Effective Human Relations in Organizations, ‘To trust another is to know the two of you share basic goals in the long run, so that left to do things your own way, you will manage in ways that are not harmful to the other.’

Step 5

Step Five says, “We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to one other human being the exact nature of our wrongs.”

Biblical texts that speak to Step 5 include 1st John 1 vss 8 - 10, especially vs 9 and James 5 vas 13 - 16," especially vs 16.

1st John 1 vss 8 - 10, especially vs 9

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all righteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

James 5 vas 13 - 16," especially vs 16

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
14 Is anyone aiming you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may healed. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man available much.

Men and women who have not been trustworthy find it difficult to trust others.  The inability to trust self makes it difficult to trust others.  Self – destructive behavior’s effect on the emotional self alienates people from all their primary relationships. 

Intimate, parental and professional relationships suffer when users find it more important and responsible to be involved with their secret behavior.

AA believes that after men and women in recovery have worked the first four steps, they are ready for Step 5.  Join me Sunday for the Teaching Ministry of New Eden as we Learn How to Trust and work Step 5.

Step One Worksheet

STEP 1  WRITTEN  INVENTORY

Click Steps by the Big Book

Step 1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.

Consider these questions, borrowed from meetings and recovery literature. Add your own.  Further develop this worksheet in your own notebook. Consider responding in detail with specific examples, rather than rote yes's or no's.

POWERLESSNESS

Body - the physical compulsion [compelled to act]

What were all of the types and amounts of alcohol and drugs I used, from my first time to the present? What did it cost me or others – purchases, income, fines? Emotional cost?

When have I experienced the abnormal physical reaction to alcohol? [‘One drink leads to another.’ Suggestion: Describe the last drink or a similar episode in detail.]

When did I recognize that I lost control of my drinking? [I drink to excess. I cannot stop when I want to. Heard in a meeting: “When I drink  I break out in a binge.”]

In what ways have I attempted, and have failed, to control my drinking? Did I use alcohol, or did alcohol use me? 

What were the things I did while acting out on my disease that I would never do when focusing on recovery? (ie: destructive behavior, loss of memory and blackouts, being abusive physically or verbally, insane and suicidal behaviors, etc.)

What would my life be like if I admitted being powerless over alcohol and other dysfunctional behaviors?

In what ways has my disease been active recently? How do I behave compulsively?

STEP 1 WRITTEN INVENTORY

II     UNMANAGEABILITY

Mind - The mental obsession [besieged, haunted] (obsessed with self = self-centeredness)

When and how has my mind told me that one drink will not hurt?

How did jails or institutions take over the management of my life at different times?

How am I addicted to changing my mood?  What was I trying to change?  In what ways am I addicted to looking outside of myself for exterior things to change the way I feel?

Are there situations that I fear will be so painful that I will drink again?

How is my addictive thinking and behavior manifested in my life today? Be specific.

What is it like when I am obsessed with someone or something?

Do I maintain a crisis mentality, reacting to every challenge as a personal insult? How has this affected my life? 

Do I insist on having my own way? Do I consider the needs of others? How has this behavior/attitude affected my relationships?

What in my life, can I truly manage? 

What managed my life when using, and what manages my life in recovery?

The download for this worksheet is found at Steps by the Big Book