12 Steps to Recovery: The Third Step

In this article we summarize the third of the Twelve Steps to Recovery. Refer to the WUMC website for steps one and two. Remember that the twelve steps should be worked with a sponsor or counselor in order to emphasize working the steps one at a time. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous lists the third step as, "Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him." Steps one and two required only that we accept what was obvious to others, that our lives were out of control, and only God could fix the problem. Step three is the first time we are required to take action as individuals, to abandon self-will and turn ourselves over to God. Though not easy to do, this is a necessary step toward emotional and physical well-being. We must take action on our own; neither the court nor spouse nor parents nor children nor employers can do this for us. To avoid failure, we must make this decision on our own.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Tradition offers the following observation. "It is when we try to make our will conform with God's that we begin to use it rightly. To all of us, this was a most wonderful revelation. Our whole trouble had been the misuse of willpower. We had tried to bombard our problems with it instead of attempting to bring it into agreement with God's intention for us". In all times of emotional disturbance or indecision, we can pause, ask for quiet, and in the stillness simply say: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. Thy will, not mine, be done."

Step Three is a giant step toward God and healing. By abandoning self-will and embracing God's will, we consciously direct our efforts in a productive direction with the essential added element of God's grace, giving us the strength that we need. "On my own, I can do nothing, but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:12-13.

This summary, prepared by the Faith Partners group of WUMC, is part of a continuing series of articles on the Twelve Steps.