still seeking to understand..

[24hrsAday]

god's will for my life.. the post about step #11 got me thinking.. i still do not understand what god's (as i do not understand him) will is for me.. maybe some others here feel the same? if i am being honest i still must reply.. i do not know!

[tommyk]

My own thoughts are that the Higher Power is in control so I needn't worry about His intentions for me.

Nobody 'knows'.

Enjoy the ride.

[tamcor123]

I dont really know what his will for me is, I believe all i have to know is what it isnt. And that is pretty easy to see in anything.

[Music]

Like the rest of you so far, I can't say I really know God or truly understand God but I do have faith that there is a God and I believe He is good and loving. He has to be, otherwise I and many others wouldn't have received the grace of sobriety which I believe comes from God. So, it is my belief that God's will for me is to be a good and loving person in His image, and to try to do for others as He has done for me. I don't know these beliefs to be true, but I go with them anyway. I think the outcome is a self-evident truth.

[totfit]

Since I don't see God as a loving "being" it is difficult to even imagine "his" will for us. My view is not to get too hung up on some outside "being" and just practice awareness and how that I can best contribute to harmony in my environment and my spirit.

[keithj]

Originally Posted by 24hrsAday

i still do not understand what god's (as i do not understand him) will is for me

I don't know God's will for me. I make a daily, continual habit to seek it. That's the key, as far as I'm concerned. The seeking puts me in a mental state of knowing I don't have the power today.

There are times where I've asked for specific direction when facing a difficult decision, and I feel strongly that direction was given in some way. But, there are many other times where I feel a little lost in what to do. As long as I'm seeking direction, my motives will be usually be right.

Everything that's left over after getting my selfish motives out of the way is a good approximation of God's will. Everything that's not my ego is God.

[nelco]

The more I pratice step 11 the better I get at it. I asked God to remove from me my will in step three, and I found I was able to get more and more in touch with what Gods will is for me through step 11. After working through the previous steps I discovered my will got me into a lot of hot water..........as a result of working those steps, I was able to do the right thing and through eleven I continue to ask God/ get in touch....to continue to do the right thing. The stuff that will make me feel best. Not material things but kindness and love shown to people etc. not harboring resentments. Running on my will I usually get hurt on Gods will I am happy. He only knows whats best for me. I sometimes think I know but I can be very wrong so I continue to pray for the knowledge of his will for me......

[tkdan]

I'm not sure what God's will for my life is. I'm pretty sure it is not His will that I die an alcoholic,s death. I'm pretty sure I do not walk daily according to His will. All I can do is continue to seek Him through prayer and meditation and try my best to serve others so that I'm not focusing on this selfish self-centered alcoholic. That is as close as I can come to knowing His will for me.

[shaun00]

thats a searching question.

like many..i dont know gods will for me..

i do believe i "feel" god will.

every get that feeling that something is really right or really wrong?

that where it is for me..

seeking that feeling.......seeking his will......feeling his presence.

the further i seek out his will the further im away from my own..

and the further im away from my own...... the further along i am in my attempt to live life directed be humilty and faith...

bottom line is his direction is pure............mine aint.

it makes sense to me anyway!

[Sugah]

I'm fairly certain it's God's will that I don't drink today. Beyond that, I try not to worry about it too much and just put one foot in front of the other. If I've asked to be made useful today, all sorts of people and situations may cross my path.

Peace & Love,
Sugah

[24hrsAday]

Originally Posted by Sugah

I'm fairly certain it's God's will that I don't drink today. Beyond that, I try not to worry about it too much and just put one foot in front of the other. If I've asked to be made useful today, all sorts of people and situations may cross my path.

Peace & Love,
Sugah

i like that a lot..

[Boleo]

I do know God's will for me:

"Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us."
(page 77)

"This is the Great Fact for us.
Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join us."
(page 164)

- All quotes are from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous 1st.Edition -

[AW2486]

I like what Bob B says about this. "We are the pipes, not the well" - "God travels through us, not from us" - "Our job it create an environment where that can take place". Like others have said, I think the environment is not to drink, stay in conscious contact and help others, and when I do that, I am taken care of.

[CarolD]

I don't know what my God has planned for me
So....
I try to follow The Golden Rule
Relax and accept the fact it will be an
exciteing ... mysterious adventure.

[jimhere]

You want to know what God's will is? Find out what it isn't.

A lot of times in AA you hear that if it feels good, it must be God's will. In my own experience I can tell you that I've done a lot of stuff that felt really good that I absolutely know wasn't God's will.

I've had to do some things like face the truth about myself, tell someone else about that truth, look someone in the eye and say "I've been wrong and I've harmed you and can you tell me what I need to do to set it right" that wasn't so comfortable that I absolutely know was God's will. Delaying gratification is God's will, taking a back seat when I want recognition, authority, and importance is God's will. Working with alcoholics is God's will. Simple things like common courtesy are God's will.

But like the lady says in her story, nowadays I don't do these things because I have to. I do them because I want to. It is called proper use of the will, that being my will lined up with God's will.

In short, it has become really simple what God's will is. This is it. Right here and right now.
Jim

[gravity]

Originally Posted by CarolD

I don't know what my God has planned for me
So....
I try to follow The Golden Rule
Relax and accept the fact it will be an
exciteing ... mysterious adventure.

I love this response.

I think deep down inside I know what is right & what is wrong. My best days are always when I take it easy and let the day unfold as it will, just do my part. Kind of let my spirit guide me.

The tough days are those when things don't go exactly the way that I want them to. I'm at odds with reality.

I was recently reading the 12x12 (it talks about this) and I can say that it is definitely not God's will for me to drink. Simply, He does not want me to kill myself with alcohol. As for the rest of it? Like Carol says, an exciting & mysterious adventure!

[barb dwyer]

Sometimes, I think God's Will for me is ....

having enough energy to do the dishes.
making my bed.

I'm doing God's will when I listen to someone with a problem.
I don't have to 'fix' the problem - that's God's job.
I just have to listen.

The sense *I* got when reading your initial post was more like a long - term sort of thing.
I think we get all caught up in the drama sometimes when thinking about God's Will.
We start thinking about 'famous guys from the past' like Moses who kinda got God's will handed to him on clay tablets with lightning bolts and all the 'special effects' going on.

Not much of that stuff goes on these days.

Sometimes The Sacred Dance is more immediate.
Like letting the woman with the screaming kids in front of you in line, you know?
Or going to meetings and helping other alcoholics set up and take down.
Or giving someone a ride when you don't really feel like it.

I tend to think that God's Will for *me* in this life is simple things.
Like showing others the compassion and empathy *I* was shown
when I first came back to AA.
Giving to others the assistance and comfort that was given to me
when I was so broken and needed it so badly.

Just little simple things speak so profoundly, you know?

Thanks.
Good topic.

[RufusACanal]

Sometimes the most obvious is the truly hardest to see, let alone comprehend. It would be absurd of me to attempt to understand the will of the Infinite, yet there are simple instructions that provide a clear path to living free and Step Twelve is one of these instructions. Sometimes, it is easier for me to say I can’t do a thing or that I do not understand a thing, because truly I am not interested in knowing or doing. Simply put, God’s will for me is about learning so I can know and doing so that something gets done.

Steps One through Eleven are about knowing and doing the major repair on myself as preparation for Twelve. Step Twelve is the instruction that provides the complete directions for my New Life for finally doing for others. I have been reclaimed from death to help others. How do I know this? By continuing to work and live the instructions provided for recovery, my life flourishes and others are given the opportunity I was given.

Today, the obvious is more apparent to me if I keep my eyes on the instructions and my feet on the path.

[navysteve]

I do trust in my Big Book, and mine says on page 134:

We are sure God wants us to be happy, joyous, and free.

I don't know how you guys read that, but it sounds like His will for us to me.

Relieve me of the bondage of self

So God also wants me to be selfless- His will for me...

Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We must, or it kill us! God makes that possible.

BB page 62.

Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the Road of Happy Destiny.

BB page 164

This is a pretty good glimpse of God's will for us. I think many of us complicate this simple idea. There is of course the 12 step which states that we have a spiritual awakening. I am sure that is God's will for us as well.

[24hrsAday]

just to be clear.. when i posted the thread i was thinking more "long term" stuff as barb correctly guessed! ODAAT i continue to seek his will.. going to my home group this morning is a good start!

[citychick]

I asked my sponsor the same question and she gave me a fairly simplistic answer.

"Don't drink, and be nice." lol

[jimhere]

Originally Posted by 24hrsAday

just to be clear.. when i posted the thread i was thinking more "long term" stuff as barb correctly guessed! ODAAT i continue to seek his will.. going to my home group this morning is a good start!

The first clue should be your user name.

[sugErspun]

Good responses...I am glad to see that no one knows God's will for them (at least precisely).


What came to mind when I was reading the thread: "The path is the goal"...made sense to me.

[stone]

Originally Posted by jimhere

A lot of times in AA you hear that if it feels good, it must be God's will. In my own experience I can tell you that I've done a lot of stuff that felt really good that I absolutely know wasn't God's will.

I tend to find that God's will doesn't chime with my will (not a surprise). If I don't want to do a thing but know it is the right thing to do...that is when I am pretty sure it is God's will

Originally Posted by gravity

I think deep down inside I know what is right & what is wrong. My best days are always when I take it easy and let the day unfold as it will, just do my part. Kind of let my spirit guide me.

I think we all have that little voice in us that knows right and wrong...as good a description as any of God's will (to me).


As for long term, what is God's will stuff then I agree with this...

Originally Posted by jimhere

The first clue should be your user name.

I live one day at a time (or really try to).

[stone]

This is Barefoot Bob on step 3, on having God as the director

The Big Book just stated that we need to let God become our Director, so we need to be doing what we think our Higher Power would have us do. In other words, we need to be staying in the moment, being directed by unselfishness and love, and doing the next right thing.

This is how I try to live each day now.

A.A. Way of Life - Working Step 3"