Step 10
Study shows the typical baby falls 300 times before they walk on their own. We are going to make mistakes (fall) for the remainder of our lives, but the number and severity of these mistakes will decrease as we grow in our relationship with God.
Step 10 Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
“But how can I ever know what sins are lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. And keep me from deliberate wrongs; help me to stop doing them. Only then can I be set free of guilt.”
Psalm 19:12
Personal - intended for or owned by a specific person rather than anyone else
Prompt - done at once and without delay
Having begun making our amends, we discover that we are developing a whole new attitude toward life. Our initial problem is losing power in our lives without any thought or effort on our part. We have come to rely upon God for our needs and they are met before we are even aware of them. We begin to laugh again, maybe even sing out loud just for the feel of it and it feels great! Ours is a path of action, though, and with each action comes results or consequences, depending upon whether we choose wisely or poorly. We can and do make mistakes, but our 10th step inventory allows us opportunity to identify, accept, and rectify our mistakes. We set things right without delay and learn from our mistakes how to better serve God and our fellows in the future. We see that though we do not approve of the actions or remarks of others, we now have the tools of forgiveness, tolerance, love, and acceptance to help us avoid judgment or retaliation. We are learning to help others as we grow in our new freedom. Neither our past defeats nor victories define us any longer. We have placed our lives under the care of God.
"He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" - Revelation 21:5
We are reborn! Every day is a new opportunity to glorify God in all we do. If we fall short, we have a 10th step inventory process to recognize our mistakes and promptly set them right.
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A Prayer for Reflection
We are vulnerable to our old ways of thinking and reacting (our "shortcomings"). Today we have a choice. We need to keep in mind that everyone makes mistakes. We will never be perfect. However, we can accept this fact by continuing to take personal inventory. We should do this even when we're feeling good and things are going well. We are set free, in the here and now, from ourselves and the past. This allows us to be ourselves.
Dear God, please set aside everything I think know about myself, my disease, the big book, the 12 steps, the program, the fellowship, the people in my life, all spiritual terms, and especially about you God, so that I may have an open mind and a new experience with all these things. Please help me see the truth.
Amen
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