Step 3 of 12-step recovery states: “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” We spent some time talking about the actions included in this step on a recent 2-part series of AsWeUnderstandHim, the podcast. You can hear part 1 here.
Made a decision
We are fresh off the starting line in our journey to find a deeper connection to our higher power, the God of the Bible. We, by no means, have this thing figured out. What we know is that time is moving us closer to the finish line and that it is the motion that matters.
According to the results of an internet query, the average adult makes upwards of 35,000 decisions each day. Whether you buy into that stat or not, life is absolutely the result of the millions of choices we make. And while most decisions we make won't substantially impact our day or our existence, many choices can change the trajectory of our being. We refer to these critical decisions as game changers.
To do life over, we would spend more time and effort analyzing and deliberating during game-changing instants. Where to school, whom to marry, which career path to follow, where to live, and what spiritual sphere to embrace should have been cause to pause; a strategic session instead of a split-second reaction to a 1 in 35,000 flood of selections.
Though many of our decisions are irreversible, we feel some are changeable and enforceable. Our decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God is a choice we can make every day – even throughout the day. It is not a one-and-done. We believe that God will bless this decision and blend His blessings into the life we have carved out IF we turn the outcome over to Him.
We must note that Step 3 does not require that we have the whole Got thing figured out – a decision is our only responsibility. How this plays out becomes less about us and more about Him. We are left with doing the next right thing (which becomes evident to a tuned heart) and leaving the aftermath to Him.
As we read and reread the Bible, it becomes clear to us that God desires us to find peace and joy in his creation. The book spells out positive solutions through practical application.
If the text is unclear to us, we turn to others for understanding and clarity – bible teachers and peers in pursuit of serenity.
So, what decision will we make today? Will we follow our own desires, which we hope will lead us to “gold”? Or will we decide to turn our will and lives over to God’s care so he can deliver an exponentially more precious metal experience?
Today we choose…Him.
Thoughts and ideas for this blog post were taken and built upon from asweunderstandhim.coffee podcast “Step 3 Part 1” The podcast dropped on 7/30/2023. Click here to hear the podcast.
Photo by Ivan Aleksic on Unsplash
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Alcoholics Anonymous and AA are registered trademarks of Alcoholics World Service. Inc. References to AA, the 12 steps, and 12 traditions does not mean that AA has reviewed or approved the contents of this publication nor that AA agrees with the views expressed herein. This publication is intended to support personal growth and should not be considered a substitute for healthcare professionals' advice. The author’s advice and viewpoints are their own.
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