Page 97 - The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

Alco_1893007162_6p_01_r5.qxd 4/4/03 11:17 AM Page 76

76 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
If we can answer to our satisfaction, we then look at
Step Six. We have emphasized willingness as being in­
dispensable. Are we now ready to let God remove
from us all the things which we have admitted are ob­
jectionable? Can He now take them all—every one?
If we still cling to something we will not let go, we
ask God to help us be willing.
When ready, we say something like this: “My Cre­
ator, I am now willing that you should have all of me,
good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me
every single defect of character which stands in the
way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant
me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding.
Amen.’’ We have then completed Step Seven.
Now we need more action, without which we find
that “Faith without works is dead.’’ Let’s look at Steps
Eight and Nine. We have a list of all persons we have
harmed and to whom we are willing to make amends.
We made it when we took inventory. We subjected
ourselves to a drastic self-appraisal. Now we go out to
our fellows and repair the damage done in the past.
We attempt to sweep away the debris which has accu­
mulated out of our effort to live on self-will and run
the show ourselves. If we haven’t the will to do this,
we ask until it comes. Remember it was agreed at the
beginning we would go to any lengths for victory over
alcohol.
Probably there are still some misgivings. As we look
over the list of business acquaintances and friends we
have hurt, we may feel diffident about going to some
of them on a spiritual basis. Let us be reassured. To
some people we need not, and probably should not
emphasize the spiritual feature on our first approach.