Step 7: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
Jesus said:
Matthew 18:3-4 KJV
“Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Without true, honest, heartfelt humility we can not recover; We can not enter the kingdom of heaven.
What is humility? Humility does NOT mean self abasement and degradation. It means being “right sized” as the Big Book of AA describes it. Humility means knowing my place in relation to God, in relation to my powerlessness over my addictive/dysfunctional behavior; knowing where I fit in relation to God & my addictions/dysfunctions; having things in proper perspective.
We are told in James 4:6
God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
and James 4:10
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,
and He shall lift you up.
Until I understood and experienced my own humility, I could not begin to experience the Grace of God. Until humility came into my life, I could not be lifted up out of my addictions. I could only helplessly sit in the mire of my addictions and behaviors.
If you have not experienced true humility–having that healthy perspective on things–ask God to show you His meaning of humility. As a little child, ask Jesus to come into your life to show you the Way. Humbly ask Him to remove your shortcomings and in their place fill you with His Holy Spirit. He will lift you up. He will bathe you in His Grace. He will gently take you by your hand and lead you into His Kingdom.