More About Step Seven of the Twelve Steps of Recovery

Continuing discussion of Step Seven of the Twelve Steps of recovery: "Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.", here is what the AA Big Book says about asking for removal of our shortcomings:

"...we find a place where we can be quiet for an hour, carefully reviewing what we have done. We thank God from the bottom of our heart that we know Him better. Taking this book down from our shelf we turn to the page which contains the twelve steps. Carefully reading the first five proposals we ask if we have omitted anything, for we are building an arch through which we shall walk a free man at last. Is our work solid so far? Are the stones properly in place? Have we skimped on the cement put into the foundation? Have we tried to make mortar without sand? If we can answer to our satisfaction, we then look at Step Six. We have emphasized willingness as being indispensable. Are we now ready to let God remove from us all the things which we have admitted are objectionable? Can He now take them all, everyone? If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask God to help us be willing. When ready, we say something like this: 'My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen.' We have then completed Step Seven."

In my experience with this Step, the defects are rarely all removed at once, rarely forever, and rarely completely. As with most of recovery, working of Steps Six and Seven is a process in which we make progress over time. I can say that over time, comparing the way I am now with the way I was in early recovery, my Higher Power has removed many of my defects almost completely. Recovery is hard work, with daily application of spiritual principles, but it DOES work. See my web site: http://www.alcoholdrugsos.com