God is the answer!
What does that mean? What do I have to believe and do?
The Book tells us:
“regarding ourselves as intelligent agents, spearheads of God’s ever advancing Creation (Page 49)
“As soon as we admitted the possible existence of a Creative Intelligence, a Spirit of the Universe underlying the totality of things, we began to be possessed of a new sense of power and direction, provided we took other simple steps.” (Page 46)
“But there is One who has all power—that One is God. May you find Him now! (Page 59)
“Next, we decided that hereafter in this drama of life, God was going to be our Director. He is the Principal; we are His agents. He is the Father, and we are His children.” (Page 62)
“3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” (Page 59)
“There I humbly offered myself to God, as I then understood Him, to do with me as He would.” (Page 13)
“Many of us said to our Maker, as we understood Him: "God, I offer myself to Thee—to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!" (Page 63)
“Here are thousands of men and women, worldly indeed. They flatly declare that since they have come to believe in a Power greater than themselves, to take a certain attitude toward that Power, and to do certain simple things, there has been a revolutionary change in their way of living and thinking. In the face of collapse and despair, in the face of the total failure of their human resources, they found that a new power, peace, happiness, and sense of direction flowed into them. This happened soon after they wholeheartedly met a few simple requirements. (Page 50)
“We asked God to help us show them the same tolerance, pity, and patience that we would cheerfully grant a sick friend. When a person offended we said to ourselves, "This is a sick man. How can I be helpful to him? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done." (Page 67)
“or we are now on a different basis; the basis of trusting and relying upon God. We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. We are in the world to play the role He assigns. Just to the extent that we do as we think He would have us, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable us to match calamity with serenity.” (Page 68)
“We subjected each relation to this test—was it selfish or not? We asked God to mold our ideals and help us to live up to them. (Page 69)
“In meditation, we ask God what we should do about each specific matter. The right answer will come, if we want it.” (Page 69)
“Counsel with persons is often desirable, but we let God be the final judge.” (Page 69)
“If we are sorry for what we have done, and have the honest desire to let God take us to better things, we believe we will be forgiven and will have learned our lesson.” (Page 70)
“This requires action on our part, which, when completed, will mean that we have admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being, the exact nature of our defects.” (Page 72)
“5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” (Page 59)
“We thank God from the bottom of our heart that we know Him better.” (Page 75)
“6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.” (Page 59)
“Are we now ready to let God remove from us all the things which we have admitted are objectionable? (Page 76)
“7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.” (Page 59)
“Can He now take them all—every one? If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask God to help us be willing.” (Page 76)
“When ready, we say something like this: “My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen.” We have then completed Step Seven.” (Page 76)
“Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us.” (Page 77)
“If we have obtained permission, have consulted with others, asked God to help and the drastic step is indicated we must not shrink.” (Page 80)
“He saw that he had to place the outcome in God’s hands or he would soon start drinking again, and all would be lost anyhow.” (Page 80)
“Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them.” (Page 84)
“Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God’s will into all of our activities. “How can I best serve Thee—Thy will (not mine) be done.” These are thoughts which must go with us constantly. We can exercise our will power along this line all we wish. It is the proper use of the will.” (Page 85)
“When we retire at night, we constructively review our day. Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid? Do we owe an apology? Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once? Were we kind and loving toward all? What could we have done better? Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time? Or were we thinking of what we could do for others, of what we could pack into the stream of life? But we must be careful not to drift into worry, remorse or morbid reflection, for that would diminish our usefulness to others. After making our review we ask God’s forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken.” (Page 86)
“On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. Under these conditions we can employ our mental faculties with assurance, for after all God gave us brains to use. Our thought-life will be placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives.” (Page 86)
“In thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may not be able to determine which course to take. Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. We relax and take it easy. We don’t struggle. We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while.” (Page 86)
“We alcoholics are undisciplined. So we let God discipline us in the simple way we have just outlined.” (Page 88)
“Job or no job—wife or no wife—we simply do not stop drinking so long as we place dependence upon other people ahead of dependence on God.” (Page 98)
“Burn the idea into the consciousness of every man that he can get well regardless of anyone. The only condition is that he trust in God and clean house.” (Page 98)
“Remind the prospect that his recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon his relationship with God.” (Page 99)
“When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God’s hands were better than anything we could have planned.” (Page 100)
“We urge you to try our program, for nothing will be so helpful to your husband as the radically changed attitude toward him which God will show you how to have.” (Page 117)
“If a repetition is to be prevented, place the problem, along with everything else, in God’s hands.” (Page 120)
“But it is clear that we made our own misery. God didn’t do it. Avoid then, the deliberate manufacture of misery, but if trouble comes, cheerfully capitalize it as an opportunity to demonstrate His omnipotence.” (Page 133)
“His sanity returned and he thanked God.” (Page 154)
“God will constantly disclose more to you and to us. Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick. The answers will come, if your own house is in order.” (Page 164)
“Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join us.” (Page 164)