Character Defect: Not Following Through

In “How It Works” we read and hear the words read regularly in meetings:  Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program.” (Big Book of AA page 58).  Anyone who has made an honest attempt at recovery knows how much hard work is involved.  What gives us encouragement and hope is the knowledge that many people who do the work, succeed. 

Clearing the wreckage of our past and rebuilding our character and our relationships isn’t accomplished in a day.  We can contribute to that goal every day, for sure, but effort over time is what is required to meet our long-term objective.

Who of us enjoys doing a searching, fearless, and moral inventory and then admitting the exact nature of our wrongs?  It’s painful to come before God and ask for the removal of our character defects.  Making a list of those we’ve harmed and setting out to make amends to them is threatening for most of us.  However, God’s promise and the experience strength and hope of those who have gone before us tells us that, as we follow the path and do things one step at a time, God will get us to our goal.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, I often want the “quick fix” and find it hard to follow through on the challenging parts of becoming the person You created me to be.  Help me to fix my eyes on the goal and please strengthen me to do the work required of me each day.  Amen

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