Step 12 - Our Spiritual Awakening

Today we want to think about what it means to awakened spiritually.  That’s the purpose of all the steps that have come before this one, but it is still important, at this stage to recognize what is awake and alive in us now that was not before.  This is what is referred to in Step 12:

Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

When we say that we have had a spiritual wakening, we are describing the impact our new choices have made as we’ve turned our will and life over to God, sought reconciliation in our relationships, and committed to learn how to live differently and better each day.

The person we are today is vastly different from the broken person with an unmanageable life we once were.  We have discovered that there is more to life than we thought and we are excited that there is still more to learn.  The beauty of what’s to be learned is described this way in the Bible:

The Lord’s teachings are perfect. They give strength to his people. The Lord’s rules can be trusted. They help even the foolish become wise. The Lord’s laws are right. They make people happy. The Lord’s commands are good. They show people the right way to live. Psalm 19:7-8

We are spiritually awakened when we come to experience that a power greater than ourselves is now alive in us, helping us to admit and face whatever is in our past or present. 

We could never have faced those things that were buried deep in our soul without knowing that our will and life was in the care of the God who had prepared a way for our forgiveness.  As we humbly asked God to remove all our shortcomings, we experienced peace in our mind and heart that went way beyond anything we expected or imagined. 

And he [God] has taken our sins  as far away from us as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12

If your thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace. Romans 8:6

Loving God, We are so grateful for the changes You have made in us.  With our minds freed from the terror of our destructive past, with Your help we have been able to look at our relationships, straighten out what was broken in many of them, and then walk in a new way with You and them, conscious of Your will and Your love for us.  It’s actually pretty amazing stuff.   

Only a spiritual awakening could have brought us to this place.  This is what gives us rest, gives us comfort, gives us peace.  This is the life experience we’ve always desired and now have found in the Your embrace, Loving Heavenly Father.  Amen

Today’s challenge is to reflect on what’s come alive in us personally.  It’s unique to each of us so one person’s story is very different from another.  Either just in a few moments of quiet or in a journal, I encourage you to give yourself a moment of joy by becoming conscious of how you are spiritually alive today.