Step Seven Set Me Free

Step Seven begins: “My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad.” Why should I ask God to take over my good qualities in my Seventh Step Prayer? After all, I had been several months sober and there were many noble and honorable elements to my personality. WRONG! (A friend called this: alco-logical thinking.)

I was still using “pool room” language, criticizing others; maintained “justified” resentments; smoking two packs of Lucky Strikes a day, etc. I guess I sort of skipped those defects/shortcomings in Steps Four and Five—I did not really know Good from bad! More was to be revealed the following months as I continued the maintenance steps—especially Step Ten.

As years passed, and I began living the true spirit of the maintenance steps, as they say: “More will be revealed” I was told to ask God to help me become aware these newly discovered personality defects and to use the suggested Step Ten directions to face and be rid of them. In time, my ego deflated to where I could see that my bad language was not normal, and it made me appear rather dull witted.

My critical judgement of others began to diminish as I realized I was only seeing what was wrong with me! Also, those repeating thoughts of anger began to give way to joyous prayer. Seven months later my nicotine addiction went south and has never returned. Let us put it this way; the selfishness, dishonesty, resentment and fear I learned about myself in Step Four, began to diminish when I put Step Seven into action! The Seventh Step prayer was only a beginning.

What a relief! That promise of a new freedom and happiness began to appear, but most importantly, that dreadful mental obsession finally began to disappear. I now realize that I had been trapped in a bondage of self for many years but putting Step Seven into action has set me free! Step Seven is a powerful tool! Thank you, God!

By Bob S.