Spirituality

Do not let any prejudice you may have against spiritual terms deter you
from honestly asking yourself what they mean to you
.Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 47
True religion is the life we lead, not the creed we profess.
A A = Altered Attitudes.

 

A Member Shares:

Hello, my name is Dustin, and I'm a grateful recovering alcoholic. When I first came into recovery I didn't know the difference between spirituality and religion. I thought it was the same thing. I studied it, and for me I found that religion is man-made, but spirituality is God-given; it’s the part within ourselves that everybody has. It’s a spirit that leads us if we chose to follow it. People used to tell me to follow my heart, and I have found that to be a bad idea. When I’m emotional my heart lies to me, it’s deceiving. I have found it better to follow the spirit which God has instilled in me and to lead my heart by that spirit. The only thing I ever did religiously was to drink morning, noon and night. I break spirituality down: the last part is ritual -- something I must do morning noon and night to strive for that progress, pray, and listen. Thank God this is not a religious program, but a spiritual one. I was once told by a fellow AA'er, that religion is for people who don't want to go to hell, and spirituality is for people who have been there and back, and wish not to revisit that dark scary place. Hell to me was my life when drinking. I thank the God of my understanding every morning for another day, and every night for leading my spirit down the path He would have me go, not the one I would choose. Thank you all for keeping me sober and making this meeting possible -- I love and wish nothing but the best for you all! Thanks for letting me share.