Finding God, without Conversion

The word "God" has religions connotations. This frightens most people who are looking for a solution to their addiction. Many people suffering from addiction either hate religion, or are frightened of it.

If you are seeking help, but not conversion, then read on.

Finding A God of Your Own Understanding

Finding God without Religion

12-step programmes encourage you to find a higher power, of your own understanding. Since this higher power is a personal thing, of your own understanding, every 12-step programme clearly distances itself from every religion. Whether or not you choose to engage with a religious faith is entirely up to you, and of no concern whatsoever or your 12-step group.

Finding God without the Fear of Agenda

12-step programmes have no agenda, except for helping you to recover from your addiction.

In leaving your choice of God to you 12-step-anonymous programmes are confirming their lack of agenda.

Finding God without Demands

12-step programmes don't even demand that you find God. They just gently suggest that you should begin to look for help outside of your conscious self.

Finding a Power Greater than Yourself

When you recover from addiction you realise that the hell of addiction was a necessary part of the process of finding a power greater than yourself (your God).

Recognising your Destructive God

Paradoxically, your look back and realise that you had a higher power driving you all along! However, unfortunately, that power drove you to repeatedly self-destructive behaviours. You were insanely doing things over and over again that made you feel guilty and shamful. You felt the shame, and did it again. This was beyond your control. It was powerful. It was the control of a power greater than you. In the song below it was the "somebody who outdrew ya."

Discovering your Loving God

Ultimately, in recovery, you found a positive loving power, and the joy of life. The negative destructive power, and its attendant shame and guilt will fade into the past.

Hallelujah !

When you find this loving God, this Power, you rejoice. In relief, you yell out, "Hallelujah!"

But the joy you feel is tinged with the pain of the destruction you went through, and the isolation from the world you had to suffer, to finally find it.

Hallelujah, by Jeff Buckley

Well I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
Well it goes like this:
The fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Well your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya
She tied you to her kitchen chair
And she broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

But baby I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor
You know, I used to live alone before I knew ya
And I've seen your flag on the marble arch
And love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Well there was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show that to me do ya
But remember when I moved in you
And the holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Steps to Finding God

The twelfth step promises you will find God where it says "Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps..."

12 Steps to Finding God

The 12 steps define the process of finding god. On this journey you will recover from your addiction.

Or, you can look at it another way... The 12 steps define the process to recover from your addiction. On this journey you will find a loving god.

The Promise of Finding God

You will find the promise of finding god in the twelfth step.

Finding God is "Spiritual Awakening"

Step 12 says "Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps..."

Finding God is a process of "spiritual awakening".

The twelfth step promises you will find God where it says "Having had." This is the promise.