Qualifications

What qualifies someone to take someone else through the steps?

Length of sobriety? 

Not according to the Big Book.  Ebby had just a few weeks when he took the message to Bill.

Bill started helping other alcoholics immediately upon his discharge from the hospital.

Dr. Bob had a few days when he carried the message with Bill to AA #3.

BB page 129 "Even if he displays a certain amount of neglect and irresponsibility towards the family, it is well to let him go as far as likes in helping other alcoholics.  During those first days of convalescence, this will do more to insure his sobriety than anything else."

We, with a few years of sobriety get to thinking we are so good at sponsoring, that the new man should have alot of experience before he tries it.  This is not what was intended by our founders.  We start thinking we can help the newcomer sober up though our experience and our gained wisdom.  It is BS.  God gets the new man sober, my job is to show him how to get connected, period.

I'm not a rocket scientist and this is not my opinion, this is my experience.  My first sponsee, I got at 6 weeks into this deal.  He is sober today and so am I.  Is that because I was so knowledgeble about this program and so well versed.  Nope, it is because I showed him in my stumbling way how I got connected to God and it worked for him too. He is probably sober in spite of me.  That is because God did it.  Not Jerry!

There is a qualification for sponsorship.  Have you had a spiritual awakening as the result of doing the steps.  Do you have a sponsor? Does he have a sponsor?  If so then you have plenty of resources available.

We become so arrogant in our sobriety, thinking our little bits of time qualify us for something.  Taking someone through this work has nothing to do with the sponsor and everything to do with God.

Remember the new guy is beyond human aid. He needs a connection to God. Do you have one? Then for crying out loud show him how you got it, so he can show someone else. It is really that simple. The responsibility declaration says anytime, anywhere someone reaches out for help.  Not anytime anywhere if I have enough time under my belt.

Not my opinion this time.  Straight out of the book guys...