Power and Control

I do not have the power to get sober or to stay sober. Yet, I have complete control over whether it happens or not. Sometimes it makes people uncomfortable to hear that statement.

Although, that is exactly what the Big Book teaches. The book says on page 45 "Our human resources, as marshalled by the will, were not sufficient; they failed utterly. Lack of power, that was our dilemma. We had to find a Power by which we could live, and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves." That seems pretty clear to me, human power can never remove the obsession to drink or use.


The second part of the statement seems much more controversial. On page 85 it says, "What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition." The actions suggested in the book are the maintenance of my spiritual condition. Prayer, meditation, working with others, daily inventories, packing into the stream of life. Whether or not I do these things are under my control.

If I do them I am promised a daily reprieve. I am recovered, the obsession is removed. God does that. On the other hand should I start to listen to my disease, if I start letting up, resting on my laurels, sitting on my butt, then I won't do the maintenance and I won't get my reprieve, the obsession will return, and I will be headed toward the bitter end.

Today is not about drinking or using or not. Today is about taking action or not. It all boils down to one thing; Do I believe in the hopelessness and futility of life as I used to live it...