5th Step
Five
08/Jun/08
Look at the order of the words in the Fifth Step.
"Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another
human being ..."
God is first on this list. Even before we can be honest with ourselves, we need to be in an honest relationship with Him. Face it, He knows the truth already. It is fruitless to be less than truthful with Him.
We ourselves are next. If we are going to continue to deceive ourselves, the work we did in Step Four was in vain. Recovery demands honesty.
Then there's that other human being. Sharing my weaknesses and strengths with someone destroys the secrecy of the things we were trying to hide. Someone else begins to know us as we really are.
We can now move forward.
God is first on this list. Even before we can be honest with ourselves, we need to be in an honest relationship with Him. Face it, He knows the truth already. It is fruitless to be less than truthful with Him.
We ourselves are next. If we are going to continue to deceive ourselves, the work we did in Step Four was in vain. Recovery demands honesty.
Then there's that other human being. Sharing my weaknesses and strengths with someone destroys the secrecy of the things we were trying to hide. Someone else begins to know us as we really are.
We can now move forward.
—Anonymous
Unburdening Ourselves
20/May/08
Admitting to God and to ourselves is not enough.
In the Fifth Step we break out of our isolation
and share our faults with another human being,
and that person must be chosen with care. We're
not looking for someone to give us advice or tell
us how to deal with our problems. We need a
loving witness who can provide perspective on our
spiritual journey. It is vital to be as honest as
we can through this Step, facing our past and,
through sharing our faults, making a commitment
to contined growth and change.
When we complete the Step, we have accomplished a difficult task and should have learned more about ourselves, our actions, and our motivations. Many of us feel a great sense of relief as we unburden ourselves. But whether it brings us great relief or a small beginning of acceptance, Step Five brings us closer to God and helps to teach us to trust Him and other people as we recover.
When we complete the Step, we have accomplished a difficult task and should have learned more about ourselves, our actions, and our motivations. Many of us feel a great sense of relief as we unburden ourselves. But whether it brings us great relief or a small beginning of acceptance, Step Five brings us closer to God and helps to teach us to trust Him and other people as we recover.
—Anonymous
Admitted to God
26/Apr/08
How blessed is he whose transgression is
forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit!
When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.
I acknowledged my sin to Thee,
And my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”;
And Thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin.
Whose sin is covered!
How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit!
When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.
I acknowledged my sin to Thee,
And my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”;
And Thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin.
—Psalm 32 (NASB)
Quo Vadis?
10/Apr/08
What am I looking for in life? I may not reach
all of my goals, but I can enjoy working toward
them. I can watch myself grow, little by little.
One way to keep myself on track is to do the searching and fearless moral inventory of the Fourth Step and examine my motives. I need to understand why I do what I do and say what I say. This will help me realize the person that I am as compared to the person God wants me to be.
It is much easier to be honest with others than myself; we are all hampered to some extent by blind spots and a need to justify our own actions. Admitting my faults to myself, to God, and to another human being as suggested by the Fifth Step can give me insight not only into who I am but also who I could be.
One way to keep myself on track is to do the searching and fearless moral inventory of the Fourth Step and examine my motives. I need to understand why I do what I do and say what I say. This will help me realize the person that I am as compared to the person God wants me to be.
It is much easier to be honest with others than myself; we are all hampered to some extent by blind spots and a need to justify our own actions. Admitting my faults to myself, to God, and to another human being as suggested by the Fifth Step can give me insight not only into who I am but also who I could be.
—Anonymous