I’ve been reflecting on the concept of a higher power that can alleviate all frustrations and lead the way to victory over the things that can harm us. In my program of recovery we are asked to “Let go and let God”, or in more basic terms, to stop controlling and start believing that we can co-exist peacefully in this world and still be okay, letting the chips fall where they may.
When given the suggestion to “hand it over”, we sometimes get caught up in who or what this higher power is. For me I haven’t had to wrestle with this request: I’ve been rooted in my Christian faith since the start of my recovery, but I’ve nevertheless considered this teaching to find and rely on a higher power, and how one might go about that. This has been important for me to consider, because I care about those who struggle with this aspect of having faith.
In my mediation, it was confirmed to me that truly, our higher power is our higher self. It is the intelligent consciousness that chooses the way of peace and healing, every time. This is theologically consistent with my religion, which teaches that the Holy Spirit (God) dwells within all who accept that invitation. So Jesus is not only the example by which I live - how to practice restraint, how to suffer with grace, and how to love unconditionally, but he also generates the Power by which to move into action when the time comes to resist engaging in activities that might be pleasurable in the moment, but that always lead to painful results.
Ultimately, all we are really doing is saying No to destructive behaviours, and saying Yes to peace and serenity. This really isn’t an esoteric or even religious premise. But it is a spiritual, mindful one. It’s a disciplined one. Our higher power is, in effect, the enforcer of our strong boundaries: our values in action. Every time we resist harmful conduct, we are really relying on a higher power to provide us with the promise of freedom and happiness that we will enjoy by doing the next right thing.
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