We have been breaking down The Serenity Prayer this past month and now I’d like to sum it all up.
The Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
This prayer sums up the 12 steps of any 12-Step program, especially the first three steps. I’d like to share with you a side-by-side comparison of the first three steps of AA and the three lines of The Serenity Prayer.
Step One:
We admitted we were powerless over alcohol (or whatever you are having a problem with) – that our lives had become unmanageable.
Line one of the Serenity Prayer:
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change
Conclusion:
I can’t fix it, I’m powerless.
Step Two:
Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Line Two of the Serenity Prayer:
The courage to change the things I can.
Conclusion:
I know I can’t and believe “He can.”
Step Three:
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
Line Three of the Serenity Prayer:
And the wisdom to know the difference.
Conclusion:
I think I’ll let Him. Allowing myself to get out of the way to make room for God in my life.
Thanks to all of you for your feedback and thoughts on The Serenity Prayer.
Peace and love,
Michael
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