Step 3..here we go
Yankee
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 183
Step 3..here we go
Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
I think I need some help with this one because I am spiritual and not religious. I would say that the strength I have found within me is my HP and I think of this step as turning my will over to fate as I understand it. I know this must sound horrible to those who believe in God. I was just wondering if the way that I think of this step is a good alternative of how to work it?
I think I need some help with this one because I am spiritual and not religious. I would say that the strength I have found within me is my HP and I think of this step as turning my will over to fate as I understand it. I know this must sound horrible to those who believe in God. I was just wondering if the way that I think of this step is a good alternative of how to work it?
Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: LA - Lower Alabama
Posts: 5,068
I don't really have an understanding of God. How could I understand God? How could anyone?
For that matter, with all the poison I put into my system I didn't really have a good understanding of myself. My sponsor put it in terms that I could deal with "put as much of yourself and your life as you understand into the hands of as much of God you understand".
He went on to say that my understanding of myself and of my higher power would both grow if I stayed sober and worked the program. He was right.
For that matter, with all the poison I put into my system I didn't really have a good understanding of myself. My sponsor put it in terms that I could deal with "put as much of yourself and your life as you understand into the hands of as much of God you understand".
He went on to say that my understanding of myself and of my higher power would both grow if I stayed sober and worked the program. He was right.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 2,126
Hey MissTara ---
Don't forget, besides this forum here, there are a couple of secular forums--one of which might be just what you're looking for right now.....: Secular 12 Step Recovery......... (o:
I will add a wee bit of my experience with this step (worked as an atheist).....It took me a while, but I finally figured out that, regardless of what folks have done, or are doing to 'work' this step, the step itself only says to 'make a decision' and nothing more............and then there's the 4th step and onward............. (o:
Happy trudging
NoelleR
Don't forget, besides this forum here, there are a couple of secular forums--one of which might be just what you're looking for right now.....: Secular 12 Step Recovery......... (o:
I will add a wee bit of my experience with this step (worked as an atheist).....It took me a while, but I finally figured out that, regardless of what folks have done, or are doing to 'work' this step, the step itself only says to 'make a decision' and nothing more............and then there's the 4th step and onward............. (o:
Happy trudging
NoelleR
Yankee
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 183
Thank you for your responses guys. I searched the site a little more after I posted and I believe I found those other forums you spoke of Noelle. Im going to have to read more up on it. I want to be in the right forum/spot for friends and family of substance abusers/alcoholics. I tend to over think things sometimes and overlooked the *make a decision* part. =)
Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Lovely, KY
Posts: 8
Hi Tara,
This is just what I feel and believe about God. It is not so much pre determined fate. God loves us all, he also gave us free will. Because of gods great love for us he can never lie to us so he will never take back our free will. Imagine the pain you feel when a lover or a spouse leaves, in your heartache we sometimes pray that God please see how much you love them and return them to us. But also imagine the love of God, came to the world in flesh and let himself be killed so we may all live. It was a way to pay for our sins. He died for us all, not just his friends but for those who hated him, for all those then, now and yet to come. He died for those of us who beliitle him, who despise him, who love him. God does not take away the free will of the one who has gone and magically return them. (there is a point I promise) for as much as we love them could we die for peole we dont know, for murderers, evil people. That love is a trilloin times more intense than ours. Now imagine the pain and awful anguish that God feels in his heart when we leave him. pain that would destroy us. Yet he will not, because of his great love make you come back to him to ease his pain, he loves you to much to take away your free will.
But if you turn your life over to him and go back to him, and trust in him that he knows best, whehter you can see that or not, then he will lead you and guide you to where you need to be in life. You see he is all, he is not imprisoned by time. He see you when you are born, he sees you now, and he sees where he wants you to be years from now. He wants you to be there not because he wants to control us but because he can see...and he knows that of all the places we can be that place is where you will be the most happy, most content than you could ever imagine. But it is not predetermind, you just can't walk through life and say God has it all predestined so just stay in bed and what happens will happen. Yes he is God and he can see the place where all of us are the most happy and he loves us and will lead each and everyone of us to each of our places if we turn control over to him, ask him to take our lives and we promise to always trust him and not our selves or what we think or where we think we should go. He will let us chosse freely and we can wander ourselves through life and try to find places where we are happy. And we will find them from time to time or at least think we have. For sin is also out there, it wants to destroy you, keep you addicted, numb so God can be hidden from us. Sin and evil want to keep you from the ultimate place of happiness that God can see for you, So without Gods guidance we will never arrive at the place where our lives are whole and happy, without him we are just wandering randomly in the wilderness.
That is why when we pray, pray for God to take all worries and problems, ask him to do the work for us, let us not interfere and he will deliver you to a place so much more wonderful than you can ever know. It may not be what you are wanting, because you just don't know yet. But it may be, it may be your lost love is returned, that may be his plan, but it also may not, but it will be something amazing.But you have to let him have complete control, he will always let you choose your own way, even if it causes you great pain. he will not take away your choce and end your misery any more than he will end his great pain when we walk away form him. But he will restore you and comfort you and give you all you ask if your free will is to let him take you to that place he already knows exists for you.Remnenber he sees the beginning, the present, the future. He see everthing at the same time. He will place people, events, moments in life, to call upon, to guide you, to get you to your place if you give him control and do not interfere with his works for you wth our limited understanding of what we think we need. Don't ever feel guilty for praying and telling God what you want, he wants us to do that, but he also wants us to trust him. Even Jesus asked him to find another way other than his crucifixation, but his will be done. Thats why he tells us this, its Ok to ask for what we want, he wants us all to have that. But also let him have the ultimate say in case what you think you want is not best for your ultimate happiness.
This is just what I feel and believe about God. It is not so much pre determined fate. God loves us all, he also gave us free will. Because of gods great love for us he can never lie to us so he will never take back our free will. Imagine the pain you feel when a lover or a spouse leaves, in your heartache we sometimes pray that God please see how much you love them and return them to us. But also imagine the love of God, came to the world in flesh and let himself be killed so we may all live. It was a way to pay for our sins. He died for us all, not just his friends but for those who hated him, for all those then, now and yet to come. He died for those of us who beliitle him, who despise him, who love him. God does not take away the free will of the one who has gone and magically return them. (there is a point I promise) for as much as we love them could we die for peole we dont know, for murderers, evil people. That love is a trilloin times more intense than ours. Now imagine the pain and awful anguish that God feels in his heart when we leave him. pain that would destroy us. Yet he will not, because of his great love make you come back to him to ease his pain, he loves you to much to take away your free will.
But if you turn your life over to him and go back to him, and trust in him that he knows best, whehter you can see that or not, then he will lead you and guide you to where you need to be in life. You see he is all, he is not imprisoned by time. He see you when you are born, he sees you now, and he sees where he wants you to be years from now. He wants you to be there not because he wants to control us but because he can see...and he knows that of all the places we can be that place is where you will be the most happy, most content than you could ever imagine. But it is not predetermind, you just can't walk through life and say God has it all predestined so just stay in bed and what happens will happen. Yes he is God and he can see the place where all of us are the most happy and he loves us and will lead each and everyone of us to each of our places if we turn control over to him, ask him to take our lives and we promise to always trust him and not our selves or what we think or where we think we should go. He will let us chosse freely and we can wander ourselves through life and try to find places where we are happy. And we will find them from time to time or at least think we have. For sin is also out there, it wants to destroy you, keep you addicted, numb so God can be hidden from us. Sin and evil want to keep you from the ultimate place of happiness that God can see for you, So without Gods guidance we will never arrive at the place where our lives are whole and happy, without him we are just wandering randomly in the wilderness.
That is why when we pray, pray for God to take all worries and problems, ask him to do the work for us, let us not interfere and he will deliver you to a place so much more wonderful than you can ever know. It may not be what you are wanting, because you just don't know yet. But it may be, it may be your lost love is returned, that may be his plan, but it also may not, but it will be something amazing.But you have to let him have complete control, he will always let you choose your own way, even if it causes you great pain. he will not take away your choce and end your misery any more than he will end his great pain when we walk away form him. But he will restore you and comfort you and give you all you ask if your free will is to let him take you to that place he already knows exists for you.Remnenber he sees the beginning, the present, the future. He see everthing at the same time. He will place people, events, moments in life, to call upon, to guide you, to get you to your place if you give him control and do not interfere with his works for you wth our limited understanding of what we think we need. Don't ever feel guilty for praying and telling God what you want, he wants us to do that, but he also wants us to trust him. Even Jesus asked him to find another way other than his crucifixation, but his will be done. Thats why he tells us this, its Ok to ask for what we want, he wants us all to have that. But also let him have the ultimate say in case what you think you want is not best for your ultimate happiness.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
