Spiritual Backsliding

How Do You Spell 'Trouble'?

Maybe it is true that there is no cure for alcoholism via the Twelve Step formula. That's what the co-founders of AA tell us anyway.

If they are correct - and they always seem to be - then it must also be true that those of us who have recovered really only have a daily reprieve. Failing to maintaining our spiritual condition results in that reprieve being withdrawn.

That picture being drawn makes it really easy see how letting up on the spiritual life sends us immediately toward a breakdown of communication with God.

And boy, does that spell trouble.

As our consciousness wanes so does our ability to handle stress. More aptly put: We begin to lose our gift of resiliency to resentfulness. Impatience, anger, negativity and emotionality all flood back into our lives and we will once again resort to sensual solutions. Food, sex, chemicals, and yes maybe even alcohol begin to reestablish their perversely obsessive sway over life as we dive back into the troubled waters of awareness-distracting activities. Even service, sponsorship, work or religion  - things normally considered to be constructive activities can be abused - serving as ego-stimulating substitutes for the less-acceptable indulgences.

That is because any regression of our spiritual health also spells the progression of spiritual illness. We go backwards. (For many of us, "backsliding" will include not meditating.)

Lack of moment -by-moment awareness sets us up for failure. 

Once backsliding begins we reinstate our former tendency toward dishonesty and internal excuse making causing us to once again repress the little things – just like we always had done prior to awakening - stuffing them so deeply they remain far and away from our consciousness. It is automatic.

There they will sit to fester - infecting the psyche - twisting our minds, our behaviors and finally mangling our bodies with emotionally caused diseases until we are at last dead.


Not a single drop o' the cratur necessary. Resentment and subsequent self-centeredness is just as deadly.

Therefore it is preferable to handle those seemingly inconsequential events in the moment, as they happen, in real-time – while they are still current. Since these things are the food for ego-self, our dark-nature seeks to draw them in. It craves it.

" It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action
and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do."

Repression only leads to a miserable lifetime of fighting against the self for domination. Strangely, we become addicted to the struggle. Fighting self becomes our new obsession.

We avoid backsliding through daily prayer and meditation. It is the only way, until the day we walk on water, if that day could ever come. We can extend awareness throughout each day remaining conscious of God's vision for us. Through awareness comes the vision and power to carry it out; or to put it into Scripture language, that is how Gods kingdom comes "on earth as it is in heaven". 

Peace and  Love,

Danny S – RLRA
Real Live Recovered Alcoholic
http://recoveredalcoholic.blogspot.com