Saphie

I guess it's the time of year that makes us think deeper about things, doing good deeds, being nice to each other (well it is for me anyway - I really dislike the commercial/material side). I do have a burning question and I'm almost sure I'm not the only one; however I don't know if I'm out of order asking this, so please if I am, just let me know. Thanks.
When questioning a Higher Power, most people refer to a God of their understanding. Even those of you who don't believe in a God, such as The Lord, Anguta, Allah, Buddha, Mani'to to mention a few, millions do believe in, refer to a HP of your understanding. Nobody ever says who/what that HP is in their understanding. If this it too personal, I apologize. If it's not, could you please explain in words what it means to you. Thank you.

Believe808

The term HP is a power greater than yourself and I believe and trust in Him who I choose to call God.

Bamboozle

I don't believe in deities.

I also do not use the concept of a higher power.

Gypsy Feet

I exchange the words god, my higher power, the plan, and the universe pretty readily. I have always believed there was something going on behind the scenes that was Big and Mysterious, so it wasn't to big a leap for me to turn that in to a benevolent force in my life, and in the lives of all people I care about. I first sought this Force to watch over my daughter, as I was out of control worrying about her after my nest was empty. Once I realized what an exquisite creation she was, and that the universe must surely have a plan for her, and that god must surely hold her in the palm of his hand, the part where I am loved and in the right place came pretty easy=)

edit: Just reading this makes me giggle! Leave it to a true codie to have to come at a belief system for her KID to be safe first

Aysha

I believe there is something going on bigger than me. There has to be. I have seen too many unexplained things not to think so. Nothing like paranormal. But by some miracle, me and my gram, no matter what mess I have made, We always have just what we need.
But this question also made me wonder.
If I am powerless over my addiction. Isnt that a power greater than me too?
So wouldnt it make more sense to have a power greater than my addiction?

least

I was raised in a 'christian' family. So I call my HP God. My problem is that I feel that God has ignored me and does not care about me. I believe in a HP but don't believe this Higher Power cares about little ol' me.

keithj

The directions for this, from the AA standpoint, are on page 47. The minumum starting point is that I be willing to believe in a power greater than myself. That's all that's required. Thank goodness, because that was all I came in the program with. And I wasn't even happy about believing in this power, but I was willing to because I had no choice. I couldn't bear to keep going on as I was. I couldn't live that for another day. So I was willing to believe.

What I found, was that by meeting that willingness requirement, I came to a much greater relationship with that power by taking the actions suggested. I've been sober for a while, and I still can't give this power a name. But I can't deny that this power is the central fact of my life today. I can't deny the connection I feel with this power.

Jomey

I believe in a Higher Power who has a plan for each of us, for all of creation, who extends love and mercy and grace to all of us in creation, at all times. I believe that his care for us can't be altered by our behavior. I believe he answers everytime I speak to him, but his answers are not always the ones I hope for. I believe that he never creates tragedy, but he can help goodness come out of the deepest darkness. I believe that we have free will, and I am glad we do. I wouldn't want a Higher Power who had programmed a bunch of slaves...I'd rather share the fellowship of brother and sisterhood with him. I choose to call him Jesus.

Peace on your journey,
Jomey

Ananda

I have ton's of higher powers, none of which are interviening and none of which are god...I am an aithiest.

There are soooo many things and situations in my life that have MORE power than I do personally. I usually have SOME power...

I found it useful to read alot of books on different religions and spiritualities. That process helped me to begin to see what I do and don't believe,


It has been important to me to not expect others HPs to be the same as my concept...For me it needs to be something that MAKES SENSE TO ME, and that supports sobriety as a way of life.

Thanks for asking me about mine

tyler

I have an extremely loose defination of "higher power". If anything I feel it is that "voice" inside you that tells you what is right and wrong. Most of us feel it. We know when what we are choosing to do is wrong. Kinda a moral compass I guess. However I don't really think of it as a "power greater than myself" as I can choose whether or not to listen to it. It's also those gut feelings you have when you have to make a choice. The feeling you have at the time may not make total sense at the time, but experience has shown me that if I do listen to it, usually things will work out for the best. It doesn't always show itself immediately, but in the long run it seems to work that way. I find that when I listen to this voice, this moral compass, that life is better in general, not just in "recovery". That's my take, thanks.

Zencat

I have a few understandings of what a HP means to me. One is for a power greater than myself. I understand this in terms of energy. Like the sun for instance, It has vastly more energy than me. Another is likening a HP to a Higher Path. Buddhist philosophy offers a path that leads to liberation or freedom from suffering and offers a guiding light for daily living. And one more understanding, a HP as a Helping Power. People gathering together to effect positive change has helped me as it offers a chance for me to give help back.

laurie6781

(((((Saphie)))))

Of course you can ask. This is probably one of the most confusing issues that any of us come across in our recovery. It takes time, and looking within to find your own 'understanding' of a 'power greater than yourself.'

(((((Least)))))

I was raised Catholic and even though I left the church at 14, by the time I found Recovery I too believed that "God" had ignored me and left me. Then I was given a copy of "Footprints"

It was then that I started to realize that I had put that 'power' that some call "God" some call "HP" come call "Great Spirit" on the shelf. I had been the deserter, not my HP.

Maybe copy and paste "Footprints" and print it out and put it on your refrig. It will help I am sure.

My HP didn't desert me. My HP gave me 'free will' and 'choices.' MY HP is not there to 'fix' by wrong choices, my HP is there to give me support and show me a better way. It wasn't until I started working real hard on my own recovery that I started making different choices, it was oly then that I started learning how to 'look before I leaped', and how to be a better person.

Everyone's 'understanding' of "God" or "HP" is different. One of the really great concepts of AA is that we each get to figure out our own understanding and that even when we think we have, it is not set in stone and as we grow and change so does our 'understanding' of our HP.

J M H O

Love and hugs,

RocketsintheSky

This is one thing I am struggling with... I grew up christian, but I am agnostic. I don't believe the existence of god can ever be proved or dis-proved so I don't see how I could ever rely on a HP, that I am not, and never will be able to, be fully certain is there. And as for any other powers higher then myself, I have no idea what that would mean exactly...I guess growing up religious, the only way I can fathom a "higher power" is as a deity or god.

Firehazard

Hi rockets, I hear what your are asking loud and clear. I use many things as a higher power now that I know that I am very small(right sized) and at the mercy of many forces outside my control. A example that has saved my buns many times is when I am feeling way out of wack find out what phase the moon is. And more times than not it is full or very dark. Don't laugh the moon affects the mating cycles of many animal species, tides, wind. Point is it aint you regardless of what is happening.

use whatever keeps you for drinking for NOW

Threshold

I am a Pantheist, I believe the the Universe is the Ultimate reality...but I also believe that the Universe doesn't give a rat's patootie about ME personally, like it doesn't have a grand personal plan for me, other than the awesome fact that I am fully integrated in it's dynamic process.

So, when I came to NA and they suggested I have a HP that is loving...that was tricky for me. As a Pantheist, I have a concept of Divine love as being that which makes all matter and energy cooperate to form the things and situtations that make up the Universe, but that "love" is not an emotional "feeling" sort of love. I guess it's unconditional love, that everything will do what it does and be what it is..no matter what.

Still, I was scratching my head about how to believe, or even be willing to believe that something out there was going to restore little old me to sanity.
It seemed to me that if anything was going to restore me to sanity...it was going to be sobriety itself. So, my first HP was Sobriety. The principles of living sober, which is more than staying clean, was my HP. If I followed those principles, I would be restored to sanity.

If you are a 12 stepper, the idea is that you pray to your HP...which seemed silly, it being a set of principles...but at this point, being that doing things MY way wasn't working out so well, I did as suggested, and darn if Sobriety didn't start to feel more like something that gave a darn than just a set of priniciples.

I am reading a book called "How God Changes The Mind", and it is NOT a religious book, it's a science book. Some scientists have done research about how a belief in God actually alters the mind in ways that make for a healthier more positive and fulfilling life. They have discovered that it doesn't matter if what a person believes about God is true, only that they believe and that the God be loving, as opposed to vengeful. They have found that meditation has a brain altering effect that is physical, and that this effect plays out in various positive ways in our lives.

So, it's basically been born out by scientific research that even an imaginary loving HP actually changes our brain and makes for a more positive and productive life!

Since results matter, why not do it, I said to myself. I mean, even if it's a placebo...if the placebo works, and everything I was doing was NOT working...I'd be insane to turn down the placebo. I chose not to allow my pride to stand in the way of my recovery.

So I've allowed myself, for my own good, to "personify" the principles of Sobriety. Yes, I pray to Sobriety every day, ask for it's guidance, to tap me on the shoulder when I am straying from it's life saving path...and it works.

I've also added Temperance and Diligence to my docket of helpers.

If it's worked for all those thousands of recovering addicts before me, and if I want (let's make that NEED) what they have, then I'm going to do what they've done to get it. My addiction brought me to my knees...and I guess I can get down on them, literally OR metaphorically, for a while each day in sobriety.

I used to "worship" my addictions. I believed that those substances and behaviors would save and protect me from life...so I already have a great deal of practice in handing my life over to an imaginary idea, hoping it was going to take care of me. So really, when I look at it that way, why do I struggle so much with handing my life over to a POSITIVE force...even if it is imaginary that might actually save me?

Tazman53

Many struggle with the concept of a power greater then them selfs, some paint their selfs into a corner by insisting that a power greater then them selfs has to be a diety of some sort, it doesn't have to be!

If we are alcoholic or an addict when we are active we have a higher power, alcohol & drugs!!!!

Now if we are able to admit to our selfs that alcohol/drugs are our HP, then simple logic would tell us that any alcoholic or addict that has been clean and sober for some time has more power then we do?

I have heard a number of GOD acronyms folks in the fellowship have used as their HP Good Orderly Direction is one that comes to mind.

When I first got out of detox and got into the rooms of AA every single person in the rooms with any amount of sobriety had more power then I did over alcohol. All I had to do was simply clear my mind of all preconcieved BS I had it full of, admit to myself that alcohol once in my body held power over me, then I started to do what other alcoholics with more power over alcohol then I had did to stay sober.

One on one, face to face I will share my concept of my HP, but to many I am sure my concept is probably out in left field for them, but he works for me.

If one does not understand anothers HP, that is cool, find one that works for you, AA is ram full of agnotics and aethiest that are staying sober.

janitorking

i've always had a dificult time believing in 'god'. i've always wanted to have a profound and deep belief that 'he' is up there looking out for all of us and waiting to 'take us home'. nothing would make me happier to KNOW that that was true. this is going to sound really corny but it's true. the closest i've ever come to believing in a higher power is in AA. not in church, not in sunday school, not while reading the bible....in AA. i feel such a presence of goodness when i'm at meetings. i'm often times moved to tears before it's even my turn to speak. like my sponsor so eloquently put it, god made me an alcoholic so i'd have a reason to bow before him. sort of gives a whole new meaning to the term 'grateful alcoholic'.

Saphie

Thanks that was great, getting an inside look to people's beliefs. I myself like Threshold's answer about the Universe. All of us are just a mere spec of dust in the light of reality. Earth just happens to have the perfect conditions for the reproduction of life, whether that be a plant, a tree, an insect, an animal or a human. If it wasn't for intelligence, we'd all be running around looking for food, kill down the line and of course mate with whoever smells right. Okay, so that might actually be happening anyway and has nothing to do with intelligence just instinct
I will not have any problems finding a Higher Power for I know it doesn't take much to be more powerful than me. Thanks.

keithj

I came into AA as a staunch atheist who thought faith in a higher power was a crutch for weak minded people. When I got to that point in the Steps, I saw that the only requirement was a willingness to believe in a power greater than myself. It didn't say I had to be convinced, or to prove it beyond a doubt. The book assured me that if I was willing to believe, and was also willing to take certain other steps, I could build a wonderfully effective spiritual structure.

It came down to a choice. My life as I'd been living it (God isn't), or some other life (God is).

One of those two things is true, regardless of whether or not I believe it or can prove it. There is either a power greater than myself or there is not. I don't really have to know the answer. All I have to do is make a choice. And that choice guides all my next actions.

The promise of building a wonderfully effective spiritual structure that works in my life has proven true for me for quite some time.

larrylive

Saphie,

I believe you are on the right track, for I also have been looking for God for qiute some time. Although I am not sure how much faith I would put in the one's you find here.
The expression " God of my uderstanding" does seem to help a bit. The trick is to devolope that understanding. Start with what you know (and assuming judeo-christian)
read the bible, not just one though. There are many translations and I for one believe words have meaning. And if you don't say what you mean you can't mean what you say.
So read as many as you can find, comparing the entries that you find intreguing or confusing. And above all keep an open mind, remember not all the concepts we are capable of envisioning today were available to those of the past (wether or not they were acceptable or understandable) Once you become accostumed to this, explore and research the religions of the world. The major ones will be easiest to access and will provide the most works.
I have found the concept of Taoism to be most comfortable in my catholic raised analytical mind.
Not to mention the Tao or "the way" seems to imply Good Orderly Direction.
I have enjoyed my search and continue to look for "the answer(s)" Hopefully this will keep me distracted long enough to be a positive motivation to others.

Regards,
Larrylive