Pagekeeper

Step 11, pg 59

Step 11 suggests we can know God's will for us, and in fact, that we should only be praying to know the will of God for us as well as the power to carry that will out.

My experience is that I fair much better when I ask myself if I have self-pitying, dishonest or self-seeking motives in a given situation. Asking myself these questions helps me to determine what God's will is for me. I used to be under the impression that I only needed to seek my higher power's will in the big decisions and happenings of life, but I stand corrected. Seemingly trivial things are just as important because frankly the trivial things these days outnumber the big things. And that is a good thing!

pg 87

Not sure I always know what God's will for me is, but I often know what it isn't. I do know this much: God's will for me is in the moment. It's in the Now. When the wheels start turning up there in my head and I start planning results, that is my will, not God's. I can only know God's will for me in the Now, because plans and goals are subject to change at any time.

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To what extent do you, throughout your day, know God's will for you? Is it something you consciously think about as you go about your day?

I'm off to the gym: definitely God's will for me.

RobbyRobot

God's will is not something that i ponder or worry about very much if at all, really. I do know that my plans always come up short because who am i compared to God? So why waste any time trying to figure out the differences? Any time i can readily improve on my plans i really try to do so and that is really the extent of my "working with God's will"

For myself, i think it arrogant that i can ever get my plans in line with God's will. I will always be changing and becoming more what He wants. I'm into this sober life for progression and not perfection. Any life changing improvements i easily give thanks to God because i know that i failed at living both drunk and sober. I remember who and what i am. I don't need to "know" God's will to live a better life.

As well, my alcoholism and my sobriety are not the totality of my life. My sobriety is simply an essential part of my life. With that in mind, although my understanding of God today originally began as my understanding of what is a Higher Power, i can still see how my alcoholism and my sobriety are best served with my having a "God of my understanding."

My personal life goes on from there, hehheh. My simple humble beginings of becoming sober have been eclispsed by my life experiences of being and living sober.

There is life after sobriety

warmly,

Rob

intention

Interesting discussion, Pagekeeper, thanks.


Like you, if it isn't God's will, then I just know.

If I am unsure, I pause and ask Him if He wants me to do something. Usually I get the response back and usually it surprises me - most often it is completely different to what I would have done.

Sometimes God doesn't give me an answer when I ask. What I have learned about this is that is because he doesn't want me to act yet. It's been uncomfortable at times leaving decisions undecided or things undone while I wait for God's will to be shown to me.

In recovery I have learned that "I don't know" is an OK thing for me to say. Considering I was a control freak, this is a big change for me.

When the answer finally comes, then it becomes evident why the answer took so long to be given to me. It's some event which happened in the meantime which needed to happen before I could see the bigger picture and carry out His will. There are no mistakes in God's world.

Kjell

I, too am very confused on how to know when it's God's will or not. ...but, I'm only about 150 days sober, so a lot of things are confusing

However, I do beleive I can tell after the fact. What I mean is, by looking back on the day, did I do anything to make me feel guilty, jealous, shameful, remorseful? If so, then it probably wasn't God's will. Now I have something to work with the next time around.

Ananda

some times it seems clear...but I like what the illiad says about how basically the gods will let you think something is their will in order to get you to do what they want

The thing that is causing me a lot of resistance right now is knowing the difference between gods will and other peoples will.

I found out along time ago in my home group that often let go and let god ment don't do it and nands will....

It's possible that god may want certain things, but if i don't take actions, then i guess my HP finds another way to accomplish things and I may just miss out on something that might have been in my life if I had participated a bit.

Yeah...i only just expereinced step 3 in my life so it stands to reason i'm still confused! :rotfxko

Boleo

Easy for me to know;

Give in
Give up
Give to (others)

DayTrader

The question of "God's will for me" comes up most often when I'm trying to make a big decision. For example, right now I'm praying for some guidance on whether I should stay with my current job and find a way to make more money at it (like I used to be able to do) or throw in the towel, come to believe it's just "over" and commit to looking for something new. Both options scare the hell outta me so I'm doing some big time searching for God's will.

Sometimes I figure He doesn't care one way or another so long as I'm not walking away from him and am willing to help others.

Honestly, I just don't know.....and when I'm stumped I would historically make a rash decision and run with it. Now, I'm sitting in that fear and trying to be patient for more to be revealed.

...anyone know how to make Him hurry up? lol

....edit: it just hit me. the answer is probably "and both" As in.....try to figure this job out AND look for something new. Why do I alllllllllways forget that (and both) option??? lolololol

.....edit #2. sheesh, I think I had to wait a WHOLE 15 seconds before i got the answer......and there I was lookin for God to hurry up! lol

Boleo

You can petition the Lord with prayer!
You can compel the Lord with humility!
But, you can COMMAND the Lord with detachment!

Why? Because Nature ABHORS a vacuum!

RobbyRobot

Yes, if we don't walk away [from Him] and we help others [with Him] how can things go wrong? We may still have our own doubts and fears, but the bottom line is if we stand with God, we will not and can not fail in all that we may choose to do.

It's the being with God that is absolutely important. We don't and He dosen't have to care about how things are going to be if we are with God. Keeping it simple.

Rob

iloveme

Daytrader,
God usually is never right on time for me, but rarely is he too late.......

I think about Peter, maybe step off the boat and walk your peace will confirm Gods will for you. Peace is not a sense it is an all knowing.

The more you spend time in his word the more you will know his will for you and the closer you and he will become because you will begin to speak the same language. Speak less, listen more

Starburst

GOD will not be hurried, our time, is not GOD's time, in HIS own good and perfect time HE will give you the ansswer and you will see it wil come just when you needed it! GOD has already mapped out your life, all HE requires from you is total trust in HIM and as you spend daily quiet times in prayer with HIM, HE will guide you along the path HE wishes you to follow. Sometimes it takes a lot of patience and a few trials as HE may prune you, to enable you to grow. Draw near to GOD and HE will draw near to you.

intention

That's the program in action

Tommyh

pagekeeper,the here and now is where it is happening at!
good post

shaun00

For me.

The easiest way to follow gods will is to remove "self" from my own...

navysteve

Can't make that claim for myself. I love the story of how Bill was on the subway pondering the job offer at Chalie Town's hospital. He knew it was God's will for him, the inner voice even told him.

Then he talked to some other people....

I know this much-

God's will for me is to recover from alcoholism and be a vessel for others to experience his healing.

What else do I need?

Norther

It's easy to know God's will in retrospect - whatever happened: that was God's will.

Knowing His will in prospect is harder, of course. I am in the "do-what-seems-to-you-on-reflection-to-be-the-right-thing" school. Then whatever happens is, once again, God's will. "Reflection" here means prayer plus waiting. I'm not yet qualified for anything more sophisticated, if such there be.

Pagekeeper

Thanks for all of your thoughtful replies!

For myself, at this stage of my journey, it is vital for me to seek the will of my HP in everything I do. I rely on God more than I ever have. I truly need my HP's guidance, direction, and inspiration to be of maximum service to others. I spent decades being self-absorbed. Selflessness does not come naturally to me! I need help with it. Today the most important thing to me is growing along spiritual lines, and I can't do that without direction, because for most of my life I was anything but spiritual. Today, the spiritual life is not a theory to me, I must live it! And I can't live it without guidance from my HP.

intention said: Yes, I know exactly what you mean. This lesson has been difficult for me to grasp--that sometimes I don't have a role in a situation and my help is not needed or wanted! Hard to swallow for a person who once thought they were the center of the universe. Sometimes the best way for me to "help" someone is to stay out of their way.