Sunday, July 09, 2006
Bill's Story - a Power greater than myself
"I had always believed in a Power greater than myself. I had often pondered these things."
"I simply had to believe in a Spirit of the Universe, who knew neither time nor limitation. But that was as far as I had gone."
Alcoholics Anonymous
Bill's Story
page 10
Like Bill, I had always considered a higher Power on an intellectual basis. But I had not developed the trusting, faithful relationship that I would later be given.
Growing up, I went to church and learned the stories in the Bible. In my teens, I even came to know Christ on a more personal level. But, my spiritual relationship was more belief than faith. I believed in God because, to me, there were no other plausible theories to explain my existence (notice how the Universe centered around me?). Evolution theory didn't explain how the primordial soup was created. And the Big Bang was flawed because even if you took creation down to the smallest fathomable particle, that "thing" still had to come from somewhere.
And besides, I really wanted to believe that there was some benevolent Father out there watching over me (even if I didn't really feel that way).
Although I'm still learning every day, I now know that in my youth, I really didn't have a clue. When I hit bottom, I was given the choice of faith when it was easy to accept. I didn't have any other good options. I've come to realize that to keep faith requires action on my part. Indeed, "Faith without works is dead."
The spiritual relationship that I am seeking today is based on the absolute knowledge that there is only one God (and I'm not Him). I can clearly see that most of my troubles were caused by my wrongly imposed will. Today, I ask for and try to receive God's will for my life. Then I simply try to do the next right thing. May God bless you.
Get the latest edition of:
Alcoholics Anonymous
AA Services
aa addiction alcoholism recovery sponsornet substance abuse
"I simply had to believe in a Spirit of the Universe, who knew neither time nor limitation. But that was as far as I had gone."
Alcoholics Anonymous
Bill's Story
page 10
Like Bill, I had always considered a higher Power on an intellectual basis. But I had not developed the trusting, faithful relationship that I would later be given.
Growing up, I went to church and learned the stories in the Bible. In my teens, I even came to know Christ on a more personal level. But, my spiritual relationship was more belief than faith. I believed in God because, to me, there were no other plausible theories to explain my existence (notice how the Universe centered around me?). Evolution theory didn't explain how the primordial soup was created. And the Big Bang was flawed because even if you took creation down to the smallest fathomable particle, that "thing" still had to come from somewhere.
And besides, I really wanted to believe that there was some benevolent Father out there watching over me (even if I didn't really feel that way).
Although I'm still learning every day, I now know that in my youth, I really didn't have a clue. When I hit bottom, I was given the choice of faith when it was easy to accept. I didn't have any other good options. I've come to realize that to keep faith requires action on my part. Indeed, "Faith without works is dead."
The spiritual relationship that I am seeking today is based on the absolute knowledge that there is only one God (and I'm not Him). I can clearly see that most of my troubles were caused by my wrongly imposed will. Today, I ask for and try to receive God's will for my life. Then I simply try to do the next right thing. May God bless you.
Get the latest edition of:
Alcoholics Anonymous
AA Services
aa addiction alcoholism recovery sponsornet substance abuse
# posted by Bill B. @ 8:29 AM 
