[This is a continuation of an article on the Steps begun in the December 2001 ESSAY]
Step 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
I was able to make this decision only after I had identified my false beliefs about God, let go of those old ideas, and identified the beliefs and ideas by which I was going to live my life from that moment forward. As a friend of mine suggested, “You’ve got to start living as if you believe what you believe, and stop acting as if you believe what you don’t believe.” Whatever you write in the “Truth” column of the 2nd Step, you need to begin living it. But how? If I could have lived as I thought I should, I would not have come to SA.
I believe that my thoughts, feelings, and choices comprise a major part of my will. My actions and relationships encompass the greater part of my life. If I have come to believe in a loving and gracious Power who desires the best for me, why would I hesitate to turn my will and life over to His care? When I was running the show, my thoughts were out of control and regularly devolved into delusion and fantasy. My feelings were generally fear, despair, shame, and self-loathing. My choices had created many of the consequences I had listed in my 1st Step. Many of my actions were a source of shame and revulsion; and I had poisoned the relationships with those closest to me. What did I have to lose?
When I was struggling with this Step, my sponsor suggested that I walk out to the nearest main thoroughfare, flag down the first car that would stop, and turn my will and life over to whoever was driving. He asked me if I thought they could do any worse than I was doing. A later sponsor suggested that if I had awakened someone sleeping on a park bench, their suggestions couldn’t have been much worse than my best thinking. Talk about tough love! Finally, I realized that I was making a decision to continue the Steps in an effort to develop a relationship with this newfound Friend who could and would restore me to sanity if He were sought.
Pages 60 through 63 of the Big Book are devoted to Step 3. The first paragraph of page 63 describes the results we can expect when we take this Step. I refer to these as the “Third Step Promises.” I especially liked the idea that I would “…lose [my] fear of today, tomorrow or the hereafter.” After discussing the results of my Second Step and my willingness to continue the spiritual program with my sponsor, I was ready to take the Third Step. Many of our fellowship take this Step publicly at a meeting, with other members joining in the prayer. Others may wish to do this privately, or with their sponsor or other spiritual guide. The important thing is that we make this commitment sincerely, and that we follow it with action.
God bless and keep you as you trudge this Road of Happy Destiny.
Anonymous
