July 25

The original Step use to read, "as a result of THOSE Steps practice THESE Principles in all our Affairs", that was to imply that our Spiritual Awakening happens during and as a result of Practicing the Spiritual Principles of each Step up to Step 12. Steps 1-11 prepare us to take the show on the road. Love and Service are the main Principles behind Step 12. Love of self should occur before we love others.

We start to love ourselves as we work Steps 4-11. It only makes sense that we have Love in order to give Love away.

Any Service done before this can be confused with prestige and ego, which actually does a disservice to us and those we are trying to serve. Many conflicts happen in the name of Service; have you been to a naws area meeting lately? Egos clash and disagreements create dissension and our Primary Purpose is not Primary anymore. When members work the Steps and have a working Relationship with the God Of Their Understanding, the Spiritual Principles Practice wouldn't be in conflict.

A working Knowledge of the Traditions may not be enough, an actual study and application may be needed in certain levels of Service. Electing members before they are Spiritually ready for Service positions, can do more damage than Good. Our Symbol talks about Good Will, doing the right thing for the right reasons, our motive for doing Service should be to Serve others, not ourselves. Us staying clean is secondary.

A symptom of helping others, is that we get to keep what we have. If what we have is not working then, we get to keep that as well. Service Based Recovery is actually self-defeating, we don't Recover through Service.

We Recover through working the Steps, then we Practice these Principles through our Traditions. We have to ask ourselves; is my Service, Recovery Based? Or do I have Service Based, Recovery?

Taking inventory on why we're serving may open up some insight, and it makes sure our motives don't have motives. Love and Service should be our only motive, if we've worked THOSE Steps.