Daily Reprieve

From Today’s Daily Reflections;

Fear . . . of economic insecurity will leave us.  (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 84)

Having fear reduced or eliminated and having economic circumstances improve, are two different things.  When I was new in A.A., I had those two ideas confused.  I thought fear would leave me only when I started making money.  However, another line from the Big Book jumped off the page one day when I was chewing on my financial difficulties:  “For us, material well-being always followed spiritual progress;  it never preceded.” (p. 127).  I suddenly understood that this promise was a guarantee.  I saw that it put priorities in the correct order, that spiritual progress would diminish that terrible fear of being destitute, just as it diminished many other fears.

Today I try to use the talents God gave me to benefit others.  I’ve fond that is what others valued all along.  I try to remember that I no longer work for myself.  I only get the use of the wealth God crated, I never have “owned” it.  My life’s purpose is much clearer when I just work to help, not to possess.

END OF QUOTE

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I have struggled with this meditation during the course of the day.  I agree almost completely with the words of the contributor.  What then can I add?  I will just reveal my own meanderings.

Is material well-being a sure sign of spiritual progress?  Is it possible to have material strength and yet not have any real spiritual development?  Is it possible to have great spiritual fortitude but be just this side of poverty?  I am not sure.

What I have to take away from this meditation is that spiritual progress is the primary goal and the pursuit of financial well-being cannot be a distraction from that destination.  I cannot use it as an excuse to disregard my spiritual growth in recovery without risking a return to the hell of my alcoholic addiction.

I do value the magic of communicating with a Higher Power and experiencing life-giving transformation over the science of obtaining money.  I am not sure that I have a good mind about the correlation between my spiritual and financial life.  I remain open to a world in which I am greatly prospered both the visible and invisible realms.

This entry was posted on March 21, 2014 at 9:09 pm and is filed under Uncategorized with tags Addiction, Alcoholism, Journal, Life, Personal, Recovery, Spirituality. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.