Higher Power Issue
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
Welcome...
I see you have 05 as your clean date....outstanding...
There are many members here who use different concepts about a Higher Power...
I'm sure some will be along to share them with you...
Me? in recovery I re connected to my childhood God of forgivness and love. I find much comfort when I follow His direction.
Psalms 23 is what I find the most comforting.
I see you have 05 as your clean date....outstanding...
There are many members here who use different concepts about a Higher Power...
I'm sure some will be along to share them with you...
Me? in recovery I re connected to my childhood God of forgivness and love. I find much comfort when I follow His direction.
Psalms 23 is what I find the most comforting.
Guest
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Sunny FL
Posts: 647
That's a tough question if you are an agnostic or atheist. I have had faith in God since I was a child so I do not know what to tell you about that. I only know that I am on day 12 and using AA this time to keep me sober. It is not a religious thing for me. More so tools to help me day by day. I have a long way to go but I am willing to do anything to achieve sobriety. If you have the big book, maybe read chapter 4 "we agnostics". I downloaded mine to my laptop for free. Good luck
Life the gift of recovery!
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Home is where the heart is
Posts: 7,061
I was an atheist when I came into AA. AA was the end of the road for me as I had decided that if it did not work there was no option for me but to end my life as I could not go on living drinking.
I struggled with the "God" concept. It was only through the "Chapter to the Agnostic" that I was able to find peace with the concept of "God/Higher Power". The two points in that chapter that helped me the most were the idea of choosing a Higher Power of my OWN understanding and the concept of the steel girder/energy. As ridiculous as it sounds for many years I used the idea of energy/electricity as my Higher Power. I knew from experience that although I could not see energy in the physical sense I could see its power in everything from the simple molecule to the formation of mountains to the universe as a whole. It is not a concept I can fully understand but it is a power that is stronger/greater than myself. Since I can not fully understand or explain it I have no way to know that it does not have a central consciousness or intelligence. It was that simple concept that helped me to get past the God concept in AA.
Today although I have respect for organized religion I have learned over the years that religion is man made while spirituality is God made. What I believe in is spirituality not religion. Although some of the people I have the most respect for in my life are religious people but the reason I have such a high regard for them is that they temper their religion with spirituality.
I struggled with the "God" concept. It was only through the "Chapter to the Agnostic" that I was able to find peace with the concept of "God/Higher Power". The two points in that chapter that helped me the most were the idea of choosing a Higher Power of my OWN understanding and the concept of the steel girder/energy. As ridiculous as it sounds for many years I used the idea of energy/electricity as my Higher Power. I knew from experience that although I could not see energy in the physical sense I could see its power in everything from the simple molecule to the formation of mountains to the universe as a whole. It is not a concept I can fully understand but it is a power that is stronger/greater than myself. Since I can not fully understand or explain it I have no way to know that it does not have a central consciousness or intelligence. It was that simple concept that helped me to get past the God concept in AA.
Today although I have respect for organized religion I have learned over the years that religion is man made while spirituality is God made. What I believe in is spirituality not religion. Although some of the people I have the most respect for in my life are religious people but the reason I have such a high regard for them is that they temper their religion with spirituality.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Here, Now
Posts: 4,268
Its a different issue for everyone and often a difficult one. Not doing AA I don't really deal with the higher power thing. I am agnostic and also spiritual. I discover through sobriety what works for me and what speaks to be. Having attended much AA in the past I'm familiar with "we agnostics" personally it didn't speak to me and felt a little degrading, but that is only my take. One thing for sure I don't try to judge other people's beliefs and personal paths. If it works, work it.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Right here, right now!
Posts: 3,424
I am also struggling with this, but have just started working my steps.
I have learned so much about myself from the steps though this struggle keeps reappearing for me (I can't wait to get to Step 4 because that one at least I understand and have some groundwork in).
It has gotten easier. I have asked some AA and Al-anon members what has worked for them and the variety of the answers has really helped me. Some look at HP as God or from a religious bent, some look at it like Linus's blanket from Charlie Brown...a comfort and a support that they always had available. This variety has allowed me to understand that it is about what works for me.
Another thing that I have figured out is that similar to a post above I struggle with religion...which is man made and not spirituality. This has helped me to let go and focus on what works for me.
I am also STARTING to understand that whatever my HP ends up being for me will not work for someone else. Someone else has their own understanding, intuitition, whatever you might call it. Somehow that has released a lot of anxiety for me. I think it is about that I only have to figure it out for myself and not for everyone else.
Good luck on this journey and thanks for asking the question...it is helping me to figure out important things.
I have learned so much about myself from the steps though this struggle keeps reappearing for me (I can't wait to get to Step 4 because that one at least I understand and have some groundwork in).
It has gotten easier. I have asked some AA and Al-anon members what has worked for them and the variety of the answers has really helped me. Some look at HP as God or from a religious bent, some look at it like Linus's blanket from Charlie Brown...a comfort and a support that they always had available. This variety has allowed me to understand that it is about what works for me.
Another thing that I have figured out is that similar to a post above I struggle with religion...which is man made and not spirituality. This has helped me to let go and focus on what works for me.
I am also STARTING to understand that whatever my HP ends up being for me will not work for someone else. Someone else has their own understanding, intuitition, whatever you might call it. Somehow that has released a lot of anxiety for me. I think it is about that I only have to figure it out for myself and not for everyone else.
Good luck on this journey and thanks for asking the question...it is helping me to figure out important things.
Trudging that road.
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Seattle Wa
Posts: 6,840
When I stopped getting in my head and tried to get in my heart it helped. I have always had a problem with analyzing things to death, instead of just having some faith instead. Sort of like it is what it is.
I like in the BB when it talks about electricity we don't know how it works but we just know it does. Or when we turn on the switch we have faith the lights will come on.
I began to pray for God to reveal himself to me or for me to see the signs if he was real or working in my life. That is when a lot of miracles started happening. It wasn't like a burning bush or anything close to that but it was a slow process of seeing and believing in spirituality differently.
Its a journey so have fun with and I hope you find the peace you are searching for.
I like in the BB when it talks about electricity we don't know how it works but we just know it does. Or when we turn on the switch we have faith the lights will come on.
I began to pray for God to reveal himself to me or for me to see the signs if he was real or working in my life. That is when a lot of miracles started happening. It wasn't like a burning bush or anything close to that but it was a slow process of seeing and believing in spirituality differently.
Its a journey so have fun with and I hope you find the peace you are searching for.
Shape-Shifting Super-Hero
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eating Tofu!
Posts: 882
You can try this variation:
Spiral Steps
We admitted that we had a problem and made the decision to reclaim our lives.
We came to believe that there was hope for healing, health and balance.
We now honor our connection with the divine, as we understand it, and we accept the process of change.
We make a searching, fearless and honest inventory of our behavior and beliefs. We consider their effect on our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual selves and their impact on our relations with others.
We admit to ourselves and to another human being what is both healthy and unhealthy in our lives and we make a daily commitment to heal ourselves in body, mind and spirit.
We are willing to seek our Highest Good and to grow both spiritually and emotionally.
We let go of dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors and we consciously welcome joy, love and peace into our lives.
We make a list of all beings we have harmed, including ourselves, and we become willing to make amends to them all.
We work to restore balance in our lives. We make direct amends to others wherever possible and we value and care for ourselves.
We continue to take personal inventory and promptly acknowledge both our mistakes and our achievements whenever they occur.
We continue to grow in compassion, strength and understanding. We learn to celebrate our lives and our connection to all living things.
Having had a spiritual and emotional awakening, we work to help others along the path and we practice these principles in all our affairs.
We seek to find our calling and to develop the will and the wisdom to follow it.
I find these much more workable, as an Atheist. Also, try a liberal/agnostic AA group, and see if it a good fit. If not, try SMART or another group. You do not have to have God to get sober, or a higher power, there is no proof you have to.
Spiral Steps
We admitted that we had a problem and made the decision to reclaim our lives.
We came to believe that there was hope for healing, health and balance.
We now honor our connection with the divine, as we understand it, and we accept the process of change.
We make a searching, fearless and honest inventory of our behavior and beliefs. We consider their effect on our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual selves and their impact on our relations with others.
We admit to ourselves and to another human being what is both healthy and unhealthy in our lives and we make a daily commitment to heal ourselves in body, mind and spirit.
We are willing to seek our Highest Good and to grow both spiritually and emotionally.
We let go of dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors and we consciously welcome joy, love and peace into our lives.
We make a list of all beings we have harmed, including ourselves, and we become willing to make amends to them all.
We work to restore balance in our lives. We make direct amends to others wherever possible and we value and care for ourselves.
We continue to take personal inventory and promptly acknowledge both our mistakes and our achievements whenever they occur.
We continue to grow in compassion, strength and understanding. We learn to celebrate our lives and our connection to all living things.
Having had a spiritual and emotional awakening, we work to help others along the path and we practice these principles in all our affairs.
We seek to find our calling and to develop the will and the wisdom to follow it.
I find these much more workable, as an Atheist. Also, try a liberal/agnostic AA group, and see if it a good fit. If not, try SMART or another group. You do not have to have God to get sober, or a higher power, there is no proof you have to.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,937
Originally Posted by cdgt713 
I have an issue with believing in a higher power. Anyone have any good tips?
Shape-Shifting Super-Hero
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eating Tofu!
Posts: 882
Or, you can believe in many Gods and Goddesses, or many manifestations of them, and mix and match. There is no monopoly on the idea of God/Religion, fortunately. From the ancient Greeks to the Hindus to Native Americans, there are many expressions of the religious impulse, and for anyone to say there's only way has always struck me as pompous/arrogant/bullheaded.
Proud Neonephalist
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: North Coast BC Canada
Posts: 1,141
Originally Posted by HuskyPup
From the ancient Greeks to the Hindus to Native Americans, there are many expressions of the religious impulse, and for anyone to say there's only way has always struck me as pompous/arrogant/bullheaded.
Powerless over Alcohol
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Trudging the Road to Happy Destiny!
Posts: 4,018
Hey i was never raised or believed in "god" as people use that word, but i always have believed in ghosts and spirits.
So when i arrived at aa i also was leary of god thing , but its has nothing to do with any formal thinking of it . So whatever you want as long as you choose to be sober is it
I like Johnny Detox made the people in the classrooms of aa and my home group my higher power also. Because i can see hear and talk to them, and without them at least to this current moment i would not be sober without them,
Good luck to whatever you choose, just think of it this way if you like,when i first started meetings someone asked me what was my higher power and i thought and said i dont know if i believe in that, afterward i really thought and came to realize i stupid of a answer i had because my higher power was alcohol, so i choose to change that to the group, was not as hard once i realized i already always had a higher power only that one turned on me . So to one that wanted to help
So when i arrived at aa i also was leary of god thing , but its has nothing to do with any formal thinking of it . So whatever you want as long as you choose to be sober is it
I like Johnny Detox made the people in the classrooms of aa and my home group my higher power also. Because i can see hear and talk to them, and without them at least to this current moment i would not be sober without them,
Good luck to whatever you choose, just think of it this way if you like,when i first started meetings someone asked me what was my higher power and i thought and said i dont know if i believe in that, afterward i really thought and came to realize i stupid of a answer i had because my higher power was alcohol, so i choose to change that to the group, was not as hard once i realized i already always had a higher power only that one turned on me . So to one that wanted to help
Grateful to be free
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Arizona
Posts: 3,680
It was a huge sticking point for me before I got into NA, I just knew there was no way I could get past it. Eventually, I knew I needed support and a program to get and stay clean. (not everyone does, but I do). So, I decided to try some willingness to listen and find out what this HP deal was about.
An old friend who was in Al-anon, said she actually prayed to a door knob, she was SO anti god,and sure it was all the hokey-pokey...and was shocked to find out it worked!
Addiction is when normal human coping mechanisms go haywire. It's pretty predictable and often what works for many others will work for me, if I apply it. It's because humans tend to have similar psychology. So, I think it's probably that "praying" or meditating, or just getting outside of our own heads is what does the trick. So we truly can use a variety of things as HP and it will work. There is no magic from without, it's just psychology at work. And since it works, I'm sticking with it.
I have the Recovery Spiral book, I'm a pantheist. Another book I found really useful, as far as how I can relate to some sort of idea of a Higher Power is "Cosmic Ordering" by Jonathan Cainer. I've found it to be a real gem and it has helped me gain a more useful perspective and way of dealing with life.
An old friend who was in Al-anon, said she actually prayed to a door knob, she was SO anti god,and sure it was all the hokey-pokey...and was shocked to find out it worked!
Addiction is when normal human coping mechanisms go haywire. It's pretty predictable and often what works for many others will work for me, if I apply it. It's because humans tend to have similar psychology. So, I think it's probably that "praying" or meditating, or just getting outside of our own heads is what does the trick. So we truly can use a variety of things as HP and it will work. There is no magic from without, it's just psychology at work. And since it works, I'm sticking with it.
I have the Recovery Spiral book, I'm a pantheist. Another book I found really useful, as far as how I can relate to some sort of idea of a Higher Power is "Cosmic Ordering" by Jonathan Cainer. I've found it to be a real gem and it has helped me gain a more useful perspective and way of dealing with life.
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