Big Book on Step Three

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64:1
Quote:
Though our decision was a vital and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by a strenuous effort to face, and to be rid of, the things in Ourselves which had been blocking us.

Our third step decision is vital (life giving, crucial and necessary). We are unlikely to continue this program if we have not taken the third step.

How many times have we made decisions and then found ourselves unable to carry out our decisions? The emotions that caused us to make our decision fades or our circumstances change and we lose the motivation for action. Our third step decision is just the beginning. The authors promise us permanent effect from our decision if we work hard at the following steps.

Our fourth step is a method of identifying and admitting the truth about the makeup of our character. What exactly is it in ourselves that blocks us off from God? If we are to access this Power, we must place ourselves in the position to have these defects themselves removed. Our fourth step, followed by the subsequent steps, accomplishes this.

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Bill W. offered himself to God 13:5

There I humbly offered myself to God, as I then understood Him, to do with me as He would.

Bill learned of the physical component of alcoholism from Dr. Silkworth. He knew that when he drank he was unable to stop. All medical science could suggest to him was entire abstinence. Knowing through his own experience that it was impossible for him to remain abstinent, Bill felt that he was hopeless. Bill was presented with the solution to his alcoholism by Ebby T., an old school friend. Ebby showed Bill a program of action used by the Oxford Group. Bill describes the ideas and attitudes he adopted and the techniques he began to practice. The result was a deep and effective spiritual experience allowing Bill access to a Power sufficient to overcome his alcoholism.

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Made a decision 59:10

Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

Here the program of action is laid out for us to examine. If we have taken the first two steps toward recovery, we can now decide whether we want to continue. To go on as we have been, or to accept a way of life based on the conscious awareness of the existence of God, what is our choice to be?

Awakening spiritually does not stop us from being human. At times we willfully disregard the will of our Higher Power. We try to apply these principles in every area of our lives, but being human we sometimes fall short. The benefits of trying to lead a spiritually based life are so great that we return to the path as soon as we recognize the errors of our ways. As we progress spiritually, the time we spend in the darkness of self-will lessons and the time we spend in the Sunlight of the Spirit lengthens.

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Being convinced we were at Step Three 60:14

Being convinced, we were at step three, which is that we decided to turn our will and our life over to God as we understood Him.

We are not at the third step unless we are convinced of propositions a) that we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives. b) that probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism. c) that God could and would if sought. We can ask ourselves, if we agree absolutely with these three ideas. If we are not convinced, we should re-read the book to this point. It is unlikely that we will be willing to do what is necessary to recover if we are not convinced.

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The first requirement 60:16

The first requirement was that we be convinced that any life run on self-will could hardly be a success.

How has the way we have been living working for us? Are we not prey to misery, depression, resentment and remorse? These things are caused by the failed basis of our lives, the basis of self-will. We have lived as though the satisfaction of our instinctual desires for sex, society and security will bring us happiness and fulfillment.

When we hear that “there are no musts in AA, many of us are relieved and think that this means we will not have to do anything to recover. But when we hear that “there is no right or wrong way to work this program,” we who have admitted powerlessness over alcohol are fearful that there is nothing we can do to recover. This is a suggested program, we do not have to follow it if we do not want to. But if we do wish to follow this path there are things we must do and requirements we must meet. Should we decide to do the things that the authors did, we can expect the same results---recovery from alcoholism.

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Third Step Prayer 63:9-12

Many of us said to our Make, as we understood Him. “God, I offer myself to Thee---to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!

This is the third step prayer. All of the subsequent steps depend upon the decision made in this step.

Prayer is a method of establishing contact with God. People who pray find that it works. To make a beginning all we need to do is try. The next steps work to clear away things in us that block us off from God. We learn to ask God through prayer to save us from our resentments (67:5), outgrow our fears (68:22), mold our ideals (69:18), and remover our defects of character (76:7). The following steps serve to make us capable of following the direction of our Higher Power (77:4). The final steps help us to broaden and deepen our relationship with God.

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Follow 100:6-7

When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God’s hands were better than anything we could have planned. Followed the dictates of a Higher Power and you will presently live in a new and wonderful world, no matter what your present circumstances!

The world does nto change. We do. Our attitudes and outlook on life are changed as we prove to ourselves that we actually can rely upon God. We live our way into this new way of thinking. We change our actions and our thinking follows. It is a wonderfully practical and effective way of producing the entire psychic change that we must have if we are to live.

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Bill D. gave his life to the care of God 158:7

On the third day the lawyer gave his life to the care and direction of his Creator, and said he was perfectly willing to do anything necessary.

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