Everything in your life that is good comes from God
where the light is
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2,763
Everything in your life that is good comes from God
Since I joined AA, I have been blessed with significant spiritual growth. I have accepted that there is a bigger picture, an unseen & indefinable power, “the tissue out of which our lives were constructed”.
I do believe that we must find “the Great Reality deep down within us” (it really is there!) and that it is “impossible for any of us to fully define or comprehend that Power”.
I read and listen to the wisdom of Christian, Native Canadian, and Buddhist teachings (I'm open to all sources of wisdom). Recently, I came across a Christian reading that stated “Everything in your life that is good comes from God”. This really helped me understand what spiritual experience, fitness, and growth is all about.
If everything good in my life comes from God, it follows that everything good in my life is spiritual. Some of the many blessings in my life: my family, my health, my sobriety. Some of my experiences: that moment of clarity when I knew deep down inside that I am an alcoholic & I need help, meeting my sponsor for the first time, AA meetings, helping others, being helped. Kindness, love, compassion, respect. This is all spiritual in nature and is the foundation of living a good, sober life.
"Everything in your life that is good comes from God" also helped clarify what is not spiritual. For example, my greed, envy, anger, and fear. And putting alcohol in my body is certainly not spiritual - losing touch with everything good in my life, eventually losing everything for good.
I am in a 12 step commitment group right now (we are on step 2). This is the second time I have gone through the steps and it is certainly a different experience! There must have been some fight left in me the first time around!
I can’t define my Higher Power and that’s okay. It’s more about Faith. There is much more to life than self-will. I know where the good things in my life come from and it is my responsibily to give thanks and honor these gifts that were given to me. Confusion & doubt has been replaced by simple Faith. I really do feel like a huge burden has been lifted!
Big Book quotes from the 1st Edition of the Big Book
I do believe that we must find “the Great Reality deep down within us” (it really is there!) and that it is “impossible for any of us to fully define or comprehend that Power”.
I read and listen to the wisdom of Christian, Native Canadian, and Buddhist teachings (I'm open to all sources of wisdom). Recently, I came across a Christian reading that stated “Everything in your life that is good comes from God”. This really helped me understand what spiritual experience, fitness, and growth is all about.
If everything good in my life comes from God, it follows that everything good in my life is spiritual. Some of the many blessings in my life: my family, my health, my sobriety. Some of my experiences: that moment of clarity when I knew deep down inside that I am an alcoholic & I need help, meeting my sponsor for the first time, AA meetings, helping others, being helped. Kindness, love, compassion, respect. This is all spiritual in nature and is the foundation of living a good, sober life.
"Everything in your life that is good comes from God" also helped clarify what is not spiritual. For example, my greed, envy, anger, and fear. And putting alcohol in my body is certainly not spiritual - losing touch with everything good in my life, eventually losing everything for good.
I am in a 12 step commitment group right now (we are on step 2). This is the second time I have gone through the steps and it is certainly a different experience! There must have been some fight left in me the first time around!
I can’t define my Higher Power and that’s okay. It’s more about Faith. There is much more to life than self-will. I know where the good things in my life come from and it is my responsibily to give thanks and honor these gifts that were given to me. Confusion & doubt has been replaced by simple Faith. I really do feel like a huge burden has been lifted!
In the face of collapse and despair, in the face of the total failure of their human resources, they found that a new power, peace, happiness, and sense of direction flowed into them.
Big Book quotes from the 1st Edition of the Big Book
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 700
Great post..
I always wondered what people meant when they say God will take care of everything...
I got reminded in a big way the last two weeks.
I am so grateful for this program, and a loving Higher Power.
Andy
I always wondered what people meant when they say God will take care of everything...
I got reminded in a big way the last two weeks.
I am so grateful for this program, and a loving Higher Power.
Andy
Adjusting my Sails
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,021
Gravity you have made a simple explanation of God as I understand him.
I have heard people say they don't know what God's will is for them. You just broke it down to it's simplest form for me.
God's will.
My will.
If it is good it is of God. Accepting this means when I turn my will and life over to God I am trusting the outcome of my actions to God. I know God's will for me is good whether I can see it or not and I accept it. By trusting I am allowing the good into my life in ways I was incabable of when doing my own will.
An example is when I whent to court for my last DUI. My will was to have my lawyer keep me out of jail (which he assured me he could do) so that I could keep my job and continue on with my life as I was living it (putting others lives in danger every time I got behind the wheel). What happened was God's will. I was handcuffed and led out the side door of the court room for six months of jail time. Jail was the only thing that could stop me from drinking at that time. I had plenty of time to accept responsibility for my actions and accept the grace of God in my life. God by way of jail kept me alive and gave me another chance to get things right. I now accept that my being here and alive God's will therefore good. Not something I believed in my previous drunken state.
Nothing happens in God's world by chance. Accepting this allows me to see truth, which being of God is good.
Thank you for strengthening my willingness to do God's will.
I have heard people say they don't know what God's will is for them. You just broke it down to it's simplest form for me.
God's will.
Originally Posted by gravity 
my family, my health, my sobriety. Some of my experiences: that moment of clarity when I knew deep down inside that I am an alcoholic & I need help, meeting my sponsor for the first time, AA meetings, helping others, being helped. Kindness, love, compassion, respect.
Originally Posted by gravity
my greed, envy, anger, and fear. And putting alcohol in my body
If it is good it is of God. Accepting this means when I turn my will and life over to God I am trusting the outcome of my actions to God. I know God's will for me is good whether I can see it or not and I accept it. By trusting I am allowing the good into my life in ways I was incabable of when doing my own will.
An example is when I whent to court for my last DUI. My will was to have my lawyer keep me out of jail (which he assured me he could do) so that I could keep my job and continue on with my life as I was living it (putting others lives in danger every time I got behind the wheel). What happened was God's will. I was handcuffed and led out the side door of the court room for six months of jail time. Jail was the only thing that could stop me from drinking at that time. I had plenty of time to accept responsibility for my actions and accept the grace of God in my life. God by way of jail kept me alive and gave me another chance to get things right. I now accept that my being here and alive God's will therefore good. Not something I believed in my previous drunken state.
Nothing happens in God's world by chance. Accepting this allows me to see truth, which being of God is good.
Thank you for strengthening my willingness to do God's will.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: The Swish Alps, SF CA
Posts: 2,144
Well said, although the way I am wired that thought process is usually the exact opposite.
If it's good and it happens it obviously came from me and I look around to make damn sure somebody is watching to see me get my Gold Medal.
If it's Bad it obviously comes from God and is the result of an unfortunate string of circumstances or coincidences of which I clearly have no part.
Much like my friend L----- who was driving his father back from chemotherapy in the snow and he crashed his car into a snowbank and totaled it...he gets out, looks at the damage, throws his head back and his arms wide and in a very dramatic fashion roars out at the sky:
"We had a deal!!!!"
Thankfully I have a great support group and sponsor who do the wonderful favor of listening straight faced to all my crap then bursting into hysterical laughter whenever I try to either "take credit" or "blame God" for anything, God bless their little black hearts.
If it's good and it happens it obviously came from me and I look around to make damn sure somebody is watching to see me get my Gold Medal.
If it's Bad it obviously comes from God and is the result of an unfortunate string of circumstances or coincidences of which I clearly have no part.
Much like my friend L----- who was driving his father back from chemotherapy in the snow and he crashed his car into a snowbank and totaled it...he gets out, looks at the damage, throws his head back and his arms wide and in a very dramatic fashion roars out at the sky:
"We had a deal!!!!"
Thankfully I have a great support group and sponsor who do the wonderful favor of listening straight faced to all my crap then bursting into hysterical laughter whenever I try to either "take credit" or "blame God" for anything, God bless their little black hearts.
Retired Pro Drunk
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Saint Paul, MN
Posts: 901
In my life, there is no good or bad. All of it just is.
My own perspective may create a spin on things, but that's just in my head.
Everything comes from my HP. And even when my head puts a negative spin on that experience, in the end it's "good" because it comes from my HP and is exactly what I need.
My own perspective may create a spin on things, but that's just in my head.
Everything comes from my HP. And even when my head puts a negative spin on that experience, in the end it's "good" because it comes from my HP and is exactly what I need.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: The Swish Alps, SF CA
Posts: 2,144
Originally Posted by justanothrdrunk
In my life, there is no good or bad. All of it just is.
My own perspective may create a spin on things, but that's just in my head.
Everything comes from my HP. And even when my head puts a negative spin on that experience, in the end it's "good" because it comes from my HP and is exactly what I need.
My own perspective may create a spin on things, but that's just in my head.
Everything comes from my HP. And even when my head puts a negative spin on that experience, in the end it's "good" because it comes from my HP and is exactly what I need.
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