We've heard that we can believe in any Higher Power we want, as long as it's loving and naturally bigger than us. Some of us, however, have difficulty accepting these conditions. Either we believe in nothing but ourselves or we believe that what is called "God" operates ruthlessly, irrationally and arbitrarily.
For some of us to believe in a loving Power is for many reasons a transcendence. The thought of surrendering our will and our lives to something we believe has the potential to hurt us makes us especially wary. If entering the program we believe that God is judgmental and merciless, we must overcome these beliefs in order to be comfortable with the Third Step.
Our positive experiences in recovery help us in the process of believing in a loving God of our own understanding. We have been given relief from an illness that has plagued us for a long time. We have found the guidance and support we need to build a new way of life. We have begun to experience spiritual fullness where once there was only emptiness. These dimensions of our recovery derive their existence from a God who is loving rather than cruel and hateful. And the longer we stay in the recovery process the more we trust this loving Higher Power.
