Step 2
"Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity."
"The Step 2 phrase "Came to believe" suggest a process and a progression of faith that evolves over time. A portion of A.A.'s oral tradition defines this as a three-part unfolding: First, we came, that is, we showed up and stumbled in the door. Second, we came to, that is, we sobered up, came to our senses, and began to experience emotional sobriety. Third, we came to believe. We began our real recovery process and our spiritual growth. This style of spiritual growth closely parallels the strong Christian tradition that each person must come to an individual knowledge of God.
Step 2 is a logical outgrowth of Step 1 because, if in Step 1, we have admitted our own powerlessness, then the next step is to seek a new source of strength or power to take charge for us and to make us sane (well and whole). For some people, spiritual conversion is dramatic as it was for the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). For most, however, it is very gradual. As one grows and matures emotionally, one also grows spiritually.
Before we can welcome in a new Power to restore us to wellness, we will probably have to engage in some emotional and spiritual "housecleaning":
1) We must bring into abstinence or balance all the addictive agents through which we have sought to meet our deepest needs. If it is a chemical, we must stop using. If it is a relationship, we must bring this into balance. In other words, those things that we have become excessive, must be put into proper perspective. - not lifted onto a pedestal to be worshiped.
2) We must transcend the god of reason if we have been worshiping God through an exclusively intellectual approach.
3) We must renounce the tendency to play God ourselves. We must grow beyond selfishness, narcissism, and grandiosity.
4) We must also renounce putting other people or human institutions in the roles of gods.
Not only must we be rid of false gods, if we are looking to the Judeo-Christian God as our higher power, but we may also need to overcome old sources of bitterness toward Him:
1) We may have identified God with an abusive parent.
2) We may have had negative experiences with the church (hypocrisy, bigoty, condemnation).
3) We may be struggling with a sense that God has failed us -- that He has allowed us to become codependent.
4) We may be angry that God has not instantaneously healed us of our addictive illnesses.
As we commit ourselves to a lifetime of recovery, our starting point may be our recovery literature. And that literature makes a valuable contribution toward the opening of spiritual doors. But if we really want to full the void, if we really want to break down the barriers hindering our progress, we need to turn to the ultimate source of God's Word and discover what the Scriptures have to tell us. By exploring the Bible, we will learn more about God, we will draw closer to Him, and we will discover more about His will for us."
To help you understand what the Scriptures say about God's power to restore us to wholeness, see the following passages:
Matthew 12:18-21
Mark 9:23,34
Luke 13:10-13
John 6:63
John 12:46
Psalm 18:1-3
Psalm 142
Source: "Serenity" A Companion For Twelve Step Recovery"
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May God Bless you as your journey continues.
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Serenity is not freedom from the storm but peace amid the storm
Den
[This message has been edited by Roven_Rev (edited April 28, 2002).]