This is an excerpt from the story of Bill W. Cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous. Bill would later go on to say, "So this is the God of the preachers!"
"There I humbly offered myself to God, as I then I understood Him, to do with me as He would. I placed myself unreservedly under His care and direction. I admitted for the first time that of myself I was nothing; that without Him I was lost. I ruthlessly faced my sins and became willing to have my newfound Friend take them away, root and branch. I have not had a drink since.
My schoolmate visited me, and I fully acquainted him with my problems and deficiencies. We made a list of people I had hurt or toward whom I felt resentment. I expressed my entire willingness to approach these individuals, admitting my wrong. Never was I to be critical of them. I was to right all such matters to the utmost of my ability.
I was to test my thinking by the new God-consciousness within. Common sense would thus become uncommon sense. I was to sit quietly when in doubt, asking only for direction and strength to meet my problems as He would have me. Never was I to pray for myself, except as my requests bore on my usefulness to others. Then only might I expect to receive. But that would be in great measure.
My friend promised when these things were done I would enter upon a new relationship with my Creator; that I would have the elements of a way of living which answered all my problems. Belief in the power of God, plus enough willingness, honesty and humility to establish and maintain the new order of things, were the essential requirements.
Simple, but not easy; a price had to be paid. It meant destruction of self-centeredness. I must turn in all things to the Father of Light who presides over us all.
These were revolutionary and drastic proposals, but the moment I fully accepted them, the effect was electric. There was a sense of victory, followed by such a peace and serenity as I had never know. There was utter confidence. I felt lifted up, as though the great clean wind of a mountain top blew through and through. God comes to most men gradually, but His impact on me was sudden and profound.
For a moment I was alarmed, and called my friend, the doctor, to ask if I were still sane. He listened in wonder as I talked.
Finally he shook his head saying, “ Something has happened to you I don’ t understand. But you had better hang on to it. Anything is better than the way you were.” The good doctor now sees many men who have such experiences. He knows that they are real."
Few can understand the utter hopelessness of a chronic alcoholic. Legions of alcoholics throughout history have died in a state of drunkeness. There is no known cure for alcoholism save a miracle from God, who rearranges the pathways within our brains, causing a release from the torment of addiction that is so firmly entrenched within our personnae.
This release is not brought about because some of us are more strong willed than others, therefore able to pull ourselves from this devastating disease.
This is truly a miracle from God, brought about by those who have faced the Creator in a state of complete humility and ego deflation. Through spiritual growth from the point of salvation, we find that God to be Jesus Christ, the only living God who walked among humanity and was resurrected from death as attested to by over four hundred witnesses.
James
|
