Faith, Humility, Service

Bill Wilson based his 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous on the 6 principles he learned from the Oxford Group. The 12 steps are often summarised with 3 points: Trust God, Clean House, Help Others. Those three points can be seen clearly in the 6 principles of the Oxford Group:

TRUST GOD / FAITH

• 1.       A Complete deflation.
  • Bill Wilson described this ‘deflation’ in the language of powerlessness. A ‘deflated’ person is not ‘inflated’ with power, or ability to manage their life (or the lives of others!). They are not bubbling over with strength and sanity. They are at the end of themselves, and know their complete, total need of power outside of themselves.
• 2.       Dependence on God.
  • In Bill Wilson’s 12-steps, when it came to getting results, you could have all of the technical (or theological) accuracy in the world when it came to the language or concepts of ‘God’, but without the absolutely essential posture of ‘dependence’, little or no change would result. I depend on God by turning my ‘will’ and ‘life’ over to God’s care

CLEAN HOUSE / HUMILITY

• 3.       A Moral inventory.
  • Bill Wilson expanded this concept to include the notions of fearlessness and searching. This hard look at one’s self could not be half-hearted. The light must be shone on all parts, even the less presentable ones. Likewise, this inventory was to be fearless. This was not about fearing the judgement of God, but rather about real honesty with self. This kind of inventory makes a person ‘properly armed with the facts’ about themselves.
• 4.       Confession.
  • The self-learning one gets through an inventory must be shared and sharpened through confession to a human other. Even confession to God is not enough, for we are always translating the voice of God into our own. We need to share what we find with someone loving, caring and honest enough to help us see what we must see.

HELP OTHERS / SERVICE

• 5.       Restitution.
  • Just as our self-discovery necessarily compels us to self-disclosure (confession) to an other, so also our discovery of the ways we have harmed others necessarily compels us to take actions that (as much as possible) set those wrongs right. Bill Wilson wisely added guidance here about taking care that our efforts in setting things right don’t create fresh harm in the process. Cleaning our consciences must not be done at the expense of others.
• 6.      Continued work with others in need.
  • Bill Wilson experienced first hand the spiritual principle that one must give away what one has in order to keep it. Love by nature is overflowing.