Step 11 Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with this Power, praying only for knowledge of His/Her will for us and the power to carry that out.
Connecting with our understanding of God-let's do some more of it. Referring to the Back To Basics program http://www.aabacktobasics.com/ we find direction the original 12 steppers (members of AA) used to live out this step 11 day by day.
1-Ask for God's direction for our thinking today: "Lord please direct my thinking today so that it is honest, pure, unselfish and loving. Please divorce my thinking from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives!"
It stands to reason then, that as part of a quiet time with our God, thoughts that now come to us should be from God. WE WRITE OUT ALL THOUGHTS WE RECEIVE AND THEN WE TEST THEM ONE BY ONE as usual and if they are dishonest, selfish, resentful or fearful, we know that our will has gotten into the picture and these thoughts are not from God. Discussion with trusted, praying, persons is probably in order, especially if any decisions need be made regarding content of the prayers. I personally use the scriptural teaching "if in doubt-don't" and back off the issue for the moment!
2-Speaking to our God many times throughout the day, we think the thought, or utter the words "Thy will be done". This recognition of God's Power often creates a humble mood in me and I am comfortable to wait as required and focus once again on the eternal moment (NOW) remembering that in and of itself, the moment is always endurable. It will always be NOW, THEREFORE I CAN MAKE IT!
You may notice-the power in Sharing with like-minded people-is a huge key throughout the 12 step philosophy. It is really the focal message of Sharing The Burden and the basis for the idea that all can benefit and certainly qualify to improve her/his lifestyle by working the 12 steps toward Spiritual freedom.
Secrets-kept or emotion-unexpressed, actually any form of unshared-problem; these all have tremendous power to damage us Spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. Note the tremendous loss of power that any of these (addictions included) experienced as we SHARED them. We took the step to admit to someone our sense of powerlessness over something and instantly it lost so much power over us. SO KEEP YOUR BURDEN TO YOURSELF AND WATCH IT GROW IN POWER OR SHARE IT AND WATCH IT WEAKEN INSTANTLY!
...
http://sharingtheburden.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/sharingburden
http://www.sharingtheburden.ca/
http://twitter.com/sharingburden
http://www.sharingtheburden.ca/
No comments:
Post a Comment