The chief activator of our defects has been self-centered fear. . . .
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 76
When I feel uncomfortable, irritated, or depressed, I look for fear. This “evil and corroding thread” is the root of my distress: Fear of failure; fear of others’ opinions; fear of harm, and many other fears. I have found a Higher Power who does not want me to live in fear and, as a result, the experience of A.A. in my life is freedom and joy. I am no longer willing to live with the multitude of character defects that characterized my life while I was drinking. Step Seven is my vehicle to freedom from these defects. I pray for help in identifying the fear underneath the defect, and then I ask God to relieve me of that fear. This method works for me without fail and is one of the great miracles of my life in Alcoholics Anonymous.
From the book Daily Reflections.
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All rights reserved.
My Share:
In my faith tradition, it is noted that God instructs us to “fear not” 365 times in our spiritual text.
The first time I went through my fourth step inventory and following steps, my focus was mostly on my resentments and harms done. In subsequent rounds, my fear and sex conduct inventory was where my focus was. The more I faced my fears instead of running from them, the easier it became for me to be an authentic and honest person. Prior to facing my fears, it’s like all I was ever doing was running from something that scared me and to something that was supposed to save me. In AA, I have found clear instructions for living, even in rough going that has given me relief from fear and allowed me to instead face everything and recover. I am so grateful for the wisdom of this program and its availability to me.
I’d love to hear what today’s Daily Reflections brings up for you this Sunday and look forward to your sharing. Thank you for being here with me today, please keep coming back. The floor is open for sharing.