Can My Higher Power be a Door Knob?

One of the objections I hear most often about Alcoholics Anonymous is that AA allows it's members to define their own "Higher Power".

Obviously, if Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven, and the only true God - how can AA work if someone is praying to a false or non-existent God?

This is actually a pretty complicated issue, and I won't be able to cover everything here, but I do want to make several points.

Let me preface my remarks by stating that I categorically believe that ONLY by placing our trust in Jesus Christ can we be saved from paying the penalty for our sins. We can't come to The Father by any other route than through Jesus. To place our faith in any other 'god' will - ultimately - ensure an eternity in hell. Many of us, because of our addictions, have already experienced a little taste of hell right here on earth, and definitely don't want to spend an eternity in such a state.

Let me also state, for the record, that I have heard a lot of foolishness spouted in AA meetings about all sorts of things.

Likewise - I have heard a lot of foolishness spouted in church about all sorts of things. I have heard foolishness spouted in school, the workplace, and at the beach. It seems that whenever a group of people are assembled, a certain percentage of those people will have foolish notions about something or another.

It also seems to me that God has compensated some people for their lack of reasoning abilities by giving them a double portion of talkativeness. I suspect that God did this for the protection of the rest of us. We need never wonder if we have a foolish man among us. A foolish man will always reveal himself by opening his mouth, and doing so very often.

That being said - my first point is that Alcoholics Anonymous shouldn't be judged by what gets said at meetings - but by what is written in official publications of AA.

Let's take a quick look at the second and third step of the 12 Steps of AA.

In step two -"We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity" - God is alluded to as being a power greater than ourselves. Although God is not called "God" here, this is a powerful step in the life of an alcoholic towards God.

Some may object to God not being specifically called "God" here, but perhaps those same people should read the book of Esther. God is never once mentioned in the Book of Esther, but He is undeniably found there.

Likewise, "God" is only referred to as a power "greater than" in the second step, but the working of God in this step is undeniable.

In the second step, we stop thinking of ourselves as God, acknowledge that there may be something out there which is greater than us, and affirm that this " power " can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

I doubt that the most pious theologian out there could find any differences between this and the initial work that God does in any other sinners heart.

The work that is accomplished in an alcoholics heart, in this step, may best be summarized by the statement "There is a God - and I'm not Him".

Having acknowledged this simple but profound truth, we are now ready for step three.

"...made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him."

It is right here, in step three, that God is first mentioned as "God". It is also right here where most Christians get a little offended.

Before getting to the reason for the offense - let's look at the first part of the step.

"...made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God"

I don't think most Christians would object to this. It is the very essence of repentance - a decision to change, a decision to stop steering our own ship, a decision to begin letting God call the shots, a decision to trust Him, implicitly, regarding all aspects of our lives.

It is only when we get to the last few words "as we understood Him" that people get upset.

Here is where the conflict comes in.

As Christians, we believe in absolute truth. In our view, 2 plus two will always equal four, and this is a good thing. Without absolute truths, we wouldn't have bridges, computers, or anything, really, except chaos and uncertainty.

Truth is simply truth, and a lie is simply a lie. We can wish for a lie to be true, but it's still a lie. We can chafe from the truth and wish it weren't so, but the truth is still the truth.

The truth never changes to accommodate our own unique understanding of it. An understanding of the truth which deviates from the absolute truth of the truth is a misunderstanding.

Even so, most of us - even we Christians - have an understanding of God which might differ slightly from the man seated next to us. This is because God relates to us as INDIVIDUALS. My relationship with The Lord is not exactly the same as anybody else's. I have my own unique personality, and because of that - I have a unique relationship with my maker.

Even more - I don't have a full understanding of God yet. Paul talked about us seeing through a glass darkly. Someday, we'll see clearly, but not yet.

And finally - I'm most likely totally wrong about a few things. This doesn't mean that God will change to accommodate my wrongness, just that it's okay for me to have a few mistaken ideas about God. I have His word and His Spirit, and he'll correct my mistaken notions as He reveals Himself more fully to me. Me and God have a long time to work this all out.

But what about the guy who decides to use a door knob as his higher power? What good does that do him?

First off - let me tell you that I've heard about this mysterious doorknob deity since getting into recovery, but have never actually met anyone who worships at his alter.

Personally, I'd tell anyone I was sponsoring who wanted to rely on a doorknob to stay sober to get back with me when they were serious about their sobriety.

Those who are seriously (and desperately) pursuing a change in their life will instinctively brush aside any nonsense about praying to a doorknob. The steps talk about "God" - not doorknobs.

But - let me bring up this point as well.

The key to step two is to stop seeing ourselves as God and acknowledge that there is actually something greater than ourselves out there who is loving enough to help us.

This realization, alone, is probably not enough to keep us sober forever, but is a crucial beginning. If we build on it, we'll be well down the path to finding God - and lasting sobriety.