12 Steps to SerenitySýnishorn

STEP 3

Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understood Him.

A recovery slogan that may sound somewhat cryptic to the newcomer is the dangling statement, “But for the grace of God . . .” What does it mean? For some, it means that but for the grace of God, they might never have reached an emotional, spiritual, or physical “bottom”; and they might not have begun the upward journey of recovery growth.

“But for the grace of God” also means that the miracle of our recovery is not paid for through some ledger of good works or good behavior. Our old perfectionism may boast that our redemption can be purchased through the refining of ourselves or our physical environment. In contrast, the gospel cautions against this boasting because our salvation is not to be earned; it is a gift from God.

In recovery we surrender this false god of human perfection, and we embrace the merciful grace of God. We surrender the need to be perfect craftsmen; and, instead, we accept the creation He has made us to be, “His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus” (v. 10).