Reading of the Day

July 27

“The Third Step invites us to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, not the control of God. We are not abandoning ourselves to the direction of some powerful taskmaster forcing us to do things that are not of our own choosing. Instead, we become open to making new choices for ourselves in the light of a Higher Power’s transforming love and care.”

Sex Addicts Anonymous, page 29

How many times in my addiction did I hear only voices of judgment and criticism? I seemed boxed in by these powerful taskmasters, and I believed I had no choices. I felt compelled to act out in my addiction. I heard no whispers of compassion.

But then I found the seeds of hope in the members of the fellowship. I heard and saw others recovering from sexual addiction and I began to believe that recovery was possible for each of us. I began to see the possibility of a gentle, caring God working in and through the fellowship.

As I stayed sober and my life changed, I began to feel the presence of a loving, compassionate Higher Power. I realized, maybe for the first time, that I was loved unconditionally. Having felt the love of the fellowship, in the Third Step, I gave my life over to the care of the God of my understanding. In my Higher Power’s loving care, I began to find different choices in my life—loving choices that had seemed inconceivable before, but that now were transforming me.

How may I care for myself this day in my recovery as the God of my understanding cares for me? Am I developing a sense of trust that new solutions are possible for me?