Big Book on Step Two Bill W. becomes willing to believe. 12:9-19 My friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea. He said, “Why don’t you choose your own conception of God? That statement hit me hard. It melted the icy intellectual mountain in whose shadow I had lived and shivered many years. It stood in the sunlight at last. It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning. I saw that growth could start form that point. Upon a foundation of complete willingness I might build what I saw in my friend. Would I have it? Of course I would! An intellectual understanding of spiritual matters does not equal the vital spiritual experience we require to overcome alcoholism. Our very best thinking got us where we are now. We seek direct personal experience with our Higher Power through working the twelve steps. |
We saw it work 25:5 But we saw that it really worked in others, and we had come to believe in the hopelessness and futility of life as we had been living it. |
Even a willingness 46:9 We found that as soon as we were able to lay aside prejudice and express even a willingness to believe in a Power greater than ourselves, we commenced to get results, even though it was impossible for any of us to fully define or comprehend that Power, which is God. The directions are clear-cut; lay aside prejudice and express a willingness to believe in a Power greater than ourselves. The promise is given; we will begin to get results. |
Directions for taking Step Two 47:8-9 We needed to ask ourselves but one short question. Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power greater than myself? |
Just as biased as the ancients 51:12 We asked ourselves this: are not some of us just as biased and unreasonable about the realm of the spirit as were the ancients about the realm of the material? |
What was our choice to be 53:8-10 When we become alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is, or He isn’t. What was our choice to be? Our answer to this question will be the foundation from which we base our future decisions and actions. If we decide there is no God then we will act as if we are on our own and have only our own resources to draw upon. If on the other hand we decide that there is a God then we will adopt attitudes and actions to access the Power that can solve our problems. A decision to act as if there is a God will give us the opportunity to develop first hand experience with spiritually based life. When we are confronted with a choice of which way to turn we can draw upon our foundation of willingness to help us determine which course to take. Having a firm base for our decisions helps us to do the right thing in all situations. |
We finally saw 55:8 We finally saw that faith in some kind of God was a part of our make-up, just as much as the feeling we have for a friend. |
Came to believe 59:9 Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Awakening spiritually does not stop us from being human. At times we willfully disregard the will of our Higher Power. We try to apply these principles in every area of our lives, but being human we sometimes fall short. The benefits of trying to lead a spiritually based life are so great that we return to the path as soon as we recognize the errors of our ways. As we progress spiritually, the time we spend in the darkness of self-will lessons and the time we spend in the Sunlight of the Spirit lengthens. |
Maybe you’re right 158:4-6 “Maybe you’re right,” he said. “God ought to be able to do anything.” Then he added, “He sure didn’t do much for me when I was trying to fight this booze racket alone.” |
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