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This is the how and why of it. First of all, we had to quit playing God. It didn’t work. Next, we decided that hereafter in this drama of life, God was going to be our Director. He is the Principal; we are His agents. He is the Father, and we are His children. Most good ideas are simple, and this concept was the keystone of the new and triumphant arch through which we passed to freedom.
- Conclusion of the work so far: how we have been living does not work
- Life is a drama
- That means that the actors are real but the parts are not and the play is not
- It is a reflection of reality but not reality
- But, we're actors, so we have to play the parts we are assigned
- The form of our lives consists in the roles we are playing
- The content of our lives consists the love and awakening that are conveyed through the playing of those roles
- We're not escaping the earth
- We're bringing heaven down to it
- God is the director / I am the actor
- God is the employer / I am the employee
- God is the principal / I am the agent
- God is the parent / I am the child
- God has ultimate authority
- I have delegated authority
- I must take chief initiative & active responsibility (Concept VI)
When we sincerely took such a position, all sorts of remarkable things followed. We had a new Employer. Being all powerful, He provided what we needed, if we kept close to Him and performed His work well. Established on such a footing we became less and less interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs. More and more we became interested in seeing what we could contribute to life. As we felt new power flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind, as we discovered we could face life successfully, as we became conscious of His presence, we began to lose our fear of today, tomorrow or the hereafter. We were reborn.
- To take Step Three, we:
- Adopt the position outlined
- Say the prayer to seal the deal
- Commit to taking Steps Four through Nine (one hour a day on working days, two hours a day on non-working days subject to religious stringencies, more if we're not working and/or do not have children)
- Commit to taking Steps Ten through Twelve on a daily basis
- God has all power
- That means I never have a problem
- The problem is God's to solve, and God has all power, so the problem has already been solved
- My job:
- Stay close to God
- Prayer
- Meditation
- Tell the truth
- Listen
- Fellowship
- Children / animals / nature / music / art
- Religion
- Perform His work well
- Steps
- Work
- Occupy myself constructively
- Love
- Form healthy relationships with others
- Play
- Rest, relax, have fun
We were now at Step Three. Many of us said to our Maker, as we understood Him: “God, I offer myself to Thee—to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!’’ We thought well before taking this step making sure we were ready; that we could at last abandon ourselves utterly to Him. We found it very desirable to take this spiritual step with an understanding person, such as our wife, best friend, or spiritual adviser. But it is better to meet God alone than with one who might misunderstand. The wording was, of course, quite optional so long as we expressed the idea, voicing it without reservation. This was only a beginning, though if honestly and humbly made, an effect, sometimes a very great one, was felt at once.
- This is the Step Three prayer
- Feel free to reword
- Make sure you're ready to commit to this way of life before you take Step Three
- There is no 'amen': you're now in a prayerful condition until the end of Step Seven (whose prayer does contain an 'amen')
- This means you're protected by God until then, provided you stay on the path through the forest of Steps Four through Seven
- Take it alone or with others
- Then continue with Step Four
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