12-Step-Review Home Page


Home Page	Books, CDs etc.	Newsletter	About Us

If we surrender to the idea that we are powerless, we will be more open to taking a closer look at ourselves to find what's been missing. We begin to see our behavior in its true perspective.

Two Parts to Step One

Control being one of the biggest issues in our lives, Step One invites us to admit our unhealthy desire to exert control in areas where we are powerless to do so. Secondly, as we look back over our lives, we see that certain areas of our lives have been, are now, and will continue to be unmanageable by us alone.Control being one of the biggest issues in our lives, Step One invites us to admit our unhealthy desire to exert control in areas where we are powerless to do so. Secondly, as we look back over our lives, we see that

God purposely reveals His greatness in powerlessness:

in the powerlessness of Bethlehem, being born in a cave;
in the powerlessness of Nazareth, a backwater nowhere, a place not even mentioned in the Old Testament, nor anywhere outside the New Testament;
in the powerlessness of fishermen, zealots, and traitors as His special followers, called to take His message to the empires of the world, a seemingly impossible task;
in the powerlessness of Golgotha where, after preaching, teaching, and healing for only three years of His adult life, He is crucified in ignominy.

certain areas of our lives have been, are now, and will continue to be unmanageable by us alone.

his is a big step for us self-willed individuals. Admitting powerlessness is no easy step. Many will never take this step; they continue to assert their will and to assume authority where they have none. But often if an individual hurts enough, he finds himself with no other option but to admit powerlessness.

Powerless doesn't mean hopeless; it simply means we don't have the power to overcome evil by ourselves alone. It means the outcome isn't in our hands. We need the help

"The Theology of Littleness is a basic category of Christianity. After all, the tenor of our faith is that God's distinctive greatness is revealed precisely in powerlessness. That in the long run, the strength of history is precisely in those who love, which is to say, in a strength that, properly speaking, cannot be measured according to categories of power. So in order to show who He is, God consciously revealed Himself in the powerlessness of Nazareth and Golgotha. Thus, it is not the one who can destroy the most who is the most powerful -- in the world, of course, destructive capacity is still the real proof of power -- but, on the contrary, the least power of love is already greater than the greatest power of destruction"

Cardinal Ratzinger

In order to show who He is, God purposely chose powerlessness to manifest the truth, the truth that the least power of love is already greater than the greatest power of destruction. That power, that love, is available at all times and is in the reach of every hand.

It is for this reason that Christianity spread first among the weak and outcast of the world. With the coming of Christ, for the first time missionaries were sent to preach the Good News to the powerless, to those whom Scripture refers to as "the poor." In the truth of the Gospel they found their dignity. The Christian faith gave the

of spiritual forces greater than ourselves. We need a practical spiritual life whereby we learn to live by faith in a Power greater than ourselves. The outcome is left in His hands.

Powerlessness and Spritual Childhood

Christ tells us,
"Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 18:3).

It is that childlike dependence on a Power greater than ourselves that can lead us out of our dilemma.

The theology of littleness is a basic category of Christianity, in complete contrast to what the world believes. People who belong to the world - "worldly people" - are intent on impressing others with their importance, their power, their looks, their money, etc. But in Christian revelation,

powerless hope. And it continues to do so today, provided Christians don't get caught up in the seductive escapes of contemporary society and are able to admit powerlessness in the face of addictive behavior and irrational fears.

A Thorn in the Flesh

To become as a little child is to trust in spiritual forces greater than our weaknesses. St. Paul came to this realization when he prayed that the Lord deliver him from a certain "thorn in the flesh". The Lord's response was, not to take away the trouble, but to give Paul the power to transcend the problem. Paul tells us:

To keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me; but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Cor. 12:7-9)

<<< BACK

NEXT >>>