3rd Step
A Firm Foundation
At first, doing a searching and fearless personal
inventory looked like another excuse to be hard
on myself. It was important for me to concentrate
on the first three Steps in order to build a firm
spiritual foundation for my recovery.
In these initial Steps we begin by admitting that we are powerless over certain things—alcohol or relationships or whatever—and learn that God has no such limitations. We decide to place our life and our will in His hands. We begin to let go of the burdens that have been weighing us down. Only after we have worked these Steps are we ready to move on. We can go forward with God's guidance.
The first three Steps are the cornerstone of recovery. No matter how long we are in recovery, no matter how much progress we make, we ultimately stand on that foundation.
In these initial Steps we begin by admitting that we are powerless over certain things—alcohol or relationships or whatever—and learn that God has no such limitations. We decide to place our life and our will in His hands. We begin to let go of the burdens that have been weighing us down. Only after we have worked these Steps are we ready to move on. We can go forward with God's guidance.
The first three Steps are the cornerstone of recovery. No matter how long we are in recovery, no matter how much progress we make, we ultimately stand on that foundation.
—Anonymous
Take My Life
05/Jul/08 Filed in: 3rd Step
Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
—Frances Havergal
Three
06/Jun/08 Filed in: 3rd Step
Step Three suggests that I put my will and my
life in to God's care. God loves as I am, in
spite of who I am, and accepts me with
compassion. In this Step I become receptive to
His guidance; I become willing to be cared for by
Him.
I don't need to earn God's care. I don't need to work for it. He offers it freely if I will just accept it. I continue to have my own freewill, but I now choose to let God care for me.
I don't need to earn God's care. I don't need to work for it. He offers it freely if I will just accept it. I continue to have my own freewill, but I now choose to let God care for me.
—Anonymous
The Third Step Prayer
16/May/08 Filed in: 3rd Step
Some of the best help that I ever received came
from my sponsor when he got me to promise to say
the Third Step Prayer every morning before my
feet hit the floor—and at night, before I went to
sleep, to say thank you to God for the gift of
sobriety one more day.
He didn't actually extract a promise from me. He didn't come to me and say, "OK, here's what I want you to do." No, it was something I asked. "HOW??? can I do this being sober thing?" I asked how he did it, and what I could do to have what he had, peace and sobriety. So he told me that I could try getting my knees to say the Third Step Prayer every morning before my feet hit the floor—and at night, before I went to sleep, to say thank you to God for the gift of sobriety one more day. In the beginning, I had to write out the prayer and tack it to the wall near my bed. I know it by heart now; I've been saying it every day for sixteen years.
The Third Step Prayer (from AA's Big Book, p. 63)
God, I offer myself to Thee—
To build with me
and to do with me as Thou wilt.
Relieve me of the bondage of self,
that I may better do Thy will.
Take away my difficulties,
that victory over them may bear witness
to those I would help of Thy Power,
Thy Love, and Thy Way of life.
May I do Thy will always!
He didn't actually extract a promise from me. He didn't come to me and say, "OK, here's what I want you to do." No, it was something I asked. "HOW??? can I do this being sober thing?" I asked how he did it, and what I could do to have what he had, peace and sobriety. So he told me that I could try getting my knees to say the Third Step Prayer every morning before my feet hit the floor—and at night, before I went to sleep, to say thank you to God for the gift of sobriety one more day. In the beginning, I had to write out the prayer and tack it to the wall near my bed. I know it by heart now; I've been saying it every day for sixteen years.
The Third Step Prayer (from AA's Big Book, p. 63)
God, I offer myself to Thee—
To build with me
and to do with me as Thou wilt.
Relieve me of the bondage of self,
that I may better do Thy will.
Take away my difficulties,
that victory over them may bear witness
to those I would help of Thy Power,
Thy Love, and Thy Way of life.
May I do Thy will always!
—Anonymous
Came, Came To
Here's a good summary of the first three Step: "I
came. I came to. I came to believe."
I came. When I admitted my powerlessness, I came into the beginning of recovery.
I came to. When I realized that there was a Higher Power who could restore my sanity, I began to awake from my clouded thinking.
I came to believe. When I decided to turn control over to God's and place myself in His care, I began to believe that Jesus really did love me.
I came. When I admitted my powerlessness, I came into the beginning of recovery.
I came to. When I realized that there was a Higher Power who could restore my sanity, I began to awake from my clouded thinking.
I came to believe. When I decided to turn control over to God's and place myself in His care, I began to believe that Jesus really did love me.
—Anonymous