LAA
Love Addicts Anonymous

Step 7

"Humbly asked him [God] to remove our shortcomings."

In the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, written by the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, it says, "The whole emphasis of Step Seven is on humility." This is because it is through a recognition that we need help that we are healed. We simply cannot do this alone. We cannot change ourselves through will power alone. Willingness has its place, but it must be in conjunction with divine grace. For those who have tried again and again to get well on their own this step will be the answer to their prayers. There is hope.

When I came to recovery I was an agnostic. Then I came to believe in God. Then I surrendered to God. Then I waited. Nothing happened. Why? Because God likes to be asked. So, through prayer, I asked for his/her help. Since then, so much has happened for the better. If I had known asking was so important I would have done it sooner.

There is a catch to this prayer. Your shortcomings will not just disappear like magic. More likely you will just be given opportunities to learn. I prayed for patience and soon I was thrust into a situation that called for it. I prayed and was given some willingness to act patient even though I was frustrated. Eventually, "acting as if" paid off and I became a patient person. My prayers had been answered.

The other thing about this step is that God will only remove the shortcomings that he feels stand in the way of your development. Many of the things that you don't like about yourself will remain untouched. This keeps us humble. One thing for sure, however, is that recovery is God's will for us. Any shortcoming that gets in the way of that will be removed. So ask God for help and then work with him. Be patient. Have faith!

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