Third Step Nonsense

Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

The third step made no sense to me at all.

How do I turn my will and life over to God? Does that mean that I sit down and wait for God to tell me what to do?

Do I wait for the sponsor or the leader of the meeting explain to me? The moment that I was told that I was wrong on many issues, that I would be best served by turning my will and life over to someone who could take care of things, I assumed that all would be well.

That has simply not been the case.

God wants to put His laws in our  hearts and minds (Hebrews 8: 10-12)

He works within us both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2: 12-13)

He has even fashioned us with the works that He wants us to do (Ephesians 2: 10)

AA gives the terrible, tyrannical impression that we need to turn our will and our live over to another person, the sponsor, and the group. The nutty ideas which proceed out of these meetings is just dizzying in their complex stupidity. Some people think of the Ocean as their "Higher Power", while others have little "My Little Pony" statues in their home. People in the throes of alcohol addiction will go to any lengths to break free of alcohol, even if it means turning themselves over to dead stones and empty idols.

The whole program takes people at their weakest and invests them with dependence, only to deprive them with the skills to break free of their shame and fear and frustration. Shame on AA!


I do not need a God that I understand -- I need a God who gives me beyond what I ask or think! (Ephesians 3: 20). Anything less is just not worth settling for.