hopeless2day

Is it God?

I have trouble with belief in God so to speak. Not saying there isn't some kind of Higher Power, in reality, there has to be right?

There is no other way to explain everything.

I find myself fighting against a lot of things. And so far, doing that has kept me drunk

Mark75

God is in the one place we often don't think to look, within ourselves.

Jackedjohn

God TO ME isn't a personal God. TO ME it can not be the God of the Bible or of religion because I would be too angry with the idea of an entity that was supposedly all powerful, all knowing because if that were true... with all the BS in the world the idea of that God being all loving is completely impossible to believe (TO ME). I will not buy into the idea the argument that God's thinking is out of our understanding. Compassion is simple. I believe in science. Natural law is more powerful than I am, but it doesn't pick sides or listen to prayer, it provides the basics of life and it is OUR choice what we do with that. I really like what Mark said... a lot of people look for things outside themselves for power, but it resides in them. People need to know that they are powerful and are capable of creating a better life for themselves. And for people who are like us who struggle with the traditional idea of a higher power or a "God that loves you", I ask them to make benevolence their high power. Benevolence = Disposition to do good, an act of kindness, a generous gift.

hopeless2day

JJ:

I am a firm believer WE are the ones that make the change, not a Higher Power.

I think as you work the steps you create a life worth living, learing to live life on lifes terms and in time, your overall quality of life will improve.

While in the begining, I can see the use of a higher power being beneficial in many ways, but in the end, it is a choice to pick up or not.

Again, this is just my opinion

keithj

In reference to your other thread, hopeless2day, then you haven't taken Step 1. Hang in there and get a solid foundation in those first 44 pages and Dr.'s Opinion.

Jackedjohn

Because of my road block with the idea of a higher power I did a step one and had to walk away. The steps are not for me. That isn't to say that they are not able to help others. I did meetings at the beginning and I've said in other posts I had to find something more suitable FOR ME. I have to capitalize the TO ME and FOR ME's because I'm trying not to offend. I haven't looked at the secular 12 steps yet.

hopeless2day

JJ, there is a section in the BB about Agnostic, not saying you are. But one does not have to believe in God to work the steps.

That is my biggest beef with AA. They say it isn't relgious based, but God is used a lot, and the Father's prayer at the end of meetings.

See, this is what keeps me stuck, me nit picking and pulling everything apart at the seams till I can create a problem in my own mind.

I know it is a simple program, I just have to be willing to do what is uncomfortable. And anything with structure in my life is uncomfortable.

What I find most uncomfortable I should jump in head first and ride that wave till it feels comfortable.

I want to work the steps till it becomes who I am, not what I do if that makes sense.

GL

bellakeller

I can honestly say I don't know and I am OK with that.

ru12

There are secular recovery programs out there that don't rely on some external force to save you from your addictive behavior. Some are SMART, SOS, Secular Recovery, Lifering . . .

hopeless2day

If you really look at the 12 steps it is a great way to live your life.

In some way, shape or form, you are living the steps in most recovery programs. Hell, you don't have to be a addict of sorts to live the steps. If most people in this world would just follow this simple program imagine what it would be like?

It does seem ritualistic to me at times, but I have to force myself to take something away from each and EVERY meeting. Quit looking for what is wrong, or what is not said in meetings, instead, look for similiarties, things I can relate with in stories, readings, etc...

And 99.9999% of the time, I come away with something I didn't have when I walked in the room 60 short minutes ago

Mark75

That should be enough for you to move on a course of recovery using the steps, if you choose to do so... You faith will strengthen and God will continue to reveal Himself.

Paraffinalien

My understanding of God is basic and simple, I believe in it a thousand percent because I see it in action daily, this basically amounts to faith.
Karma and harmony. If I behave in a poor manner to my fellows then bad s@#t follows. If I behave in an altruistic manner then life just gets better and better. If i try to go against the grain of daily life, things get tough for me pretty quick. If I just go with the flow, life is cool and easy.
Perhaps my understanding will evolve in time. I keep it simple.

sunrise1

I think of my HP this way: I have a telephone, by way of prayer, to use. I have no idea who or what picks up the call but it gets picked up.

julez

I think many people don't like to use the word God, because it reminds them of their grandmothers God, or a more punishing God, or whatever they picked up along the way growing up. For me, I had to let go of all that crap, and make a God "of my understanding." Once I did that, my life and my recovery came easier to me.

Veritas1

"But there is One who has all power - that One is God. May you find Him now."

Chapter 5, How It Works, AA book

I was talking with someone who said that when we read...may you find Him/God...that if we have to find Him/God...we don't have Him/God.

"Lack of power, that was our dilemma." We Agnostics.

"We had to find a power by which we could live, and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves. Obviously. But where and how were we to find this Power?

Well, that's exactly what this book is about. Its main object is to enable you to find a Power greater than yourself which will solve your problem. That means we have written a book which we believe to be spiritual as well as moral. And it means, of course, that we are going to talk about God."
~

God is the power. May you find him now, the book tells us. It also tells us many were agnostic or atheist.

I am powerless, without power/God, I need to find the power/God.

He used an example.

He said, "If you're broke. Why do you need money?"

I said, I need it to buy things, because you need money in this world, because I need it."

He said, try again. I fumbled.

He said, "Why do I need money? Because I haven't got any."

Why do I need God? Because I haven't got any God.

I may have had God and alcohol causes us to turn away from Him, or maybe I never had a concept of Him to begin with, but either way, I haven't got Him, so I need to turn back to Him, hit bottom, hurting inside totally burned out turn to our master. Again, just one person's esh. May be helpful, maybe not.

~

Then he explained that in step two where it says, came to believe that a power greater than ourselves...that it doesn't say higher power or God there...that the power greater than ourselves could be the fellowship, the people sober certainly have more power than I do at the point I enter into AA in early sobriety.

Higher Power could be whatever has more power than I do? If I have no power, God, then God sends me to AA after I ask for help, then AA can itself be a power higher than me, a higher power, which helps me to turn back to the God alcohol caused me to abandon through alcoholism.

I hope that makes some sense.

It is one person's experience, strength and hope that they shared with me. I am not saying this is right or wrong.

Just thought I would share.

Good topic.

Untoxicated

Jesus Christ is my homeboy once again.

Antiderivative

Then stop fighting. Start turning your situation over to a viable solution rather than continue in your current groove which is getting you no where. In my opinion, a belief in a God and fighting against the grain are two mutually exclusive concepts. Let go of your old way, stop fighting, look for solutions, and practice those solutions.

I don't believe in God and I don't feel like getting philosophical right now. All I will say is that I find comfort in the idea that life contains wonder, beauty, and mystery. I just accept the fact that there are some things that I don't know about and I am not going to pretend otherwise.

leo21

It's not what, it's Who is my HP. Jesus Christ w/out a doubt.

CarolD

I choose to follow my childhood God of forgivness and love.
Connecting daily with prayers keep me in emotional balance.

Sasha4

This is how I understand my higher power.

My grandad passed away about 10 years ago.
I went to see him at the chapel of rest, to say my goodbyes.
I'd never really been to a chapel of rest before.
The one thing that stood out for me was the smell.

Such a unique strong smell. Never, ever smelt anything like that before.

Anyway

I was working in another town at the time.
One night I was commuting back. I was driving my car, the sun was shining, my favourite show was on the radio playing my favourite song.

I felt really, really happy. I can't explain it, but really, really peaceful. Like everything in the world was okay.

All of a sudden that exact same smell from the chapel of rest came in my car. It was really, really strong, overpowering almost. There was no reason why it would be there. I was driving past fields and open spaces.

I've never forgotten it and never will. I never want to forget it. I took it as a sign from a higher power that all was okay, my grandad was happy wherever he was.

I'm not super into religion. I would struggle to tell you what my higher power looked like etc etc. But for me, from that moment, I just knew that there was something else out there, guiding me a little, sending things my way.

xx