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 A.A. page 58). Anyone who has made an honest attempt at recovery knows the hard work that is involved. What gives us encouragement and hope is the fact that many people succeed when they thoroughly do the work.
Clearing the wreckage of our past and rebuilding our character and our relationships isn’t accomplished in a day. We contribute to that goal each day, but effort over time is what is required to meet our long-term objective.
As we come to believe that God is a Power greater than ourselves who can restore us to sanity, we can know certain things, and even decide to turn our will and life over to God’s care. But, the real test of our desire for recovery is the follow-through of putting God’s Word as recorded in the Bible and the steps into practice each day. Some days will be relatively easy and other days it will require every bit of strength and commitment we can muster.
Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble and keep on praying. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. (Romans 12:12, Galatians 6:9 NLT)
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 to God and ask for the removal of our character defects. Making a list of those we have harmed and making 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 You, and on recovery, and please strengthen me to do the work required of me each day. Amen
More information on this and other related topics @ http://www.partnersinhope.ca/life-with-god-in-recovery-resources/
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