5th Step
Five
08/Jun/08 Filed in: 5th Step
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 Filed in: 5th Step
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