Step Three

The Third Step Decision: A Simple Choice

3. Made a choice to surrender our will and our lives to the care of God as we understood Him

"Convinced, we reached Step Three, meaning we opted to hand over our will and life to God as we understood Him." (page 60 in The Big Book).

This is a significant challenge for those with alcohol or drug dependencies. Our past lives focused on fulfilling our own desires and addictions. Turning our will and life over to a God we might not fully know is a formidable task. We have made numerous decisions — repeatedly choosing to quit alcohol or substances permanently. We vowed to consume only up to a limit before stopping and returning home. We resolved that certain actions would lead us to seek treatment. Decision after decision, we failed to follow through with the necessary actions to fulfill these choices.

From our experience, while working through the steps, individuals are in the midst of Step Three when they begin writing their inventory. They have completed the initial steps, reading, and writing, recognizing their lives have been dominated by selfishness and fear. They have sincerely prayed The Third Step Prayer in their personal way and embarked on a path of determined action. Much like a rocket taking off, we encourage individuals to approach step work with similar passion and energy. This process provides a conscious connection with God that far surpasses any high we have ever dreamed of. Many of us have spent years and significant amounts of money searching for a perfect chemical escape from self-imposed chains. As with all things truly valuable, the effort is essential, and it eventually appears. The actions taken in steps 4-9 commit our will and lives to the care and guidance of the God we encounter by backing our decision with intentional actions. The step work validates our Third Step Decision.

– Anonymous