Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭12

We have to give up a lot to get sober. But we have to receive even more to stay sober.

We give up our habits, our desires, our relationships. It feels like we give up our self esteem, our ego, our pride.

Too often we slingshot back into many of these old habits after not very long. We can get away, unfortunately, with a little bit of backpedaling without jeopardizing our sobriety for a while. It’s a precarious line to walk though.

Regardless, we do give up much.

And much must be forfeited for good

What is beyond our ability to comprehend, though, is that we are so close to aligning ourselves with receiving so much of that we had not even dreamed of.

The gift of the spirit is just that – a gift. It’s free but requires grasping hold of. It’s available but must be sought out. It pulls us toward itself but we must surrender to it.

When we do, though, the undertow takes us. It unsettled us. It unmoors us from the things we want to rely upon.

The twelve steps break down many helpful spiritual practices that guide us toward living by His will rather than our own. They aren’t a cure-all, but they do wonders to push our self-centeredness out of the spotlight.

Ultimately, we are imploring the Sprit of the Creator to work in and through us. What a privilege to receive the very mind of God—even a portion.

God, may I think your thoughts and bend into your will.