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.
Much has already been said about receiving strength, inspiration, and direction from Him who has all knowledge and power. If we have carefully followed directions, we have begun to sense the flow of His Spirit into us. To some extent we have become God-conscious. We have begun to develop this vital sixth sense. But we must go further and that means more action. (AA, pg. 85)
"We are not a glum lot" -- this is the mantra of many AA meetings, yet over and over I witnessed men and women leave the bottle for not much else.
The program is all about taking your inventory, living a life of spiritual action, one in which a man never rests.
"Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God's will in all of our activities."
This command meant nothing to me, and for a long time I was left wondering: "What am I supposed to be doing, then?"
AA creates this culture of dependence, in which men and women now have to look outside of themselves for direction in their lives. They have been taught now that they have to keep their eyes wide open for any problems in their lives.
Their biggest "foe" is alcohol, when in truth we have our fallen flesh, we live in a fallen world, and we contend with a fallen enemy.
"How can I best serve thee? -- Thy will (not mine) be done." This kind of thinking creates the very self-centeredness that we are trying to break free of, or so I thought. Because we are asking Him to tell us what to do, instead of resting in His Spirit, inevitably we find more of ourselves getting in the way in our lives, and thus was have less direction and more confusion.
Instead of looking at ourselves, we are invited to open the eyes of our understanding, and see all the good Which God the Father has wrought in us:
"That the God of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of
wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
"The eyes of your
understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his
calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
"And what is
the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the
working of his mighty power." (Ephesians 1: 17-19)
If we have carefully followed directions, we have begun to sense the flow of His Spirit into us.
The Holy Spirit is a gift, not something that we have to earn by doing certain things:
"And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came
with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the
Holy Ghost." (Acts 10: 45)
The Holy Spirit brings with Him the following:
"For the kingdom of
God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy
Ghost." (Romans 14: 17)
The peace of Christ leads us through all things:
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you
were called to peace. And be thankful." (Colossians 3: 15)
AA gives man nothing but demands, and all of these mysterial directives do very little to provide a man with a way to live.
Man needs more than a way to live -- He needs Life, and that Life is a person -- Jesus! (John 14: 6)
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