Transcript

It Works · Sober Readings

Scott Hayes: Good morning, welcome back to Sober Readings. Today is Sunday, the first day of March, 2026. Today's reading is from Daily Reflections. The title is, It Works. And then under that is a short line that says, It Works, It Really Does. And that's a line from Alcoholics Anonymous, page 88. When I got sober, I initially had faith only in the program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Desperation and fear kept me sober, and maybe a caring and or tough sponsor helped. Faith in a higher power came much later. This faith came slowly at first, after I began listening to others share at meetings about their experiences. Experiences that I had never faced sober, but that they were facing with strength from a higher power. Out of their sharing came hope that I too would and could get a higher power. In time, I learned that a higher power, a faith that works under all conditions, is possible. Today, this faith, plus the honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness to work the steps of the program, gives me the serenity that I seek. It works. It really does. Today's reading from 24 Hours for March 1st, AA Thought for the Day. When I find myself thinking about taking a drink, I say to myself, don't reach out and take that problem back. You've given it to God and there's nothing you can do about it. So I forget about the drink. One of the most important parts of the AA program is to give our drink problem to God, honestly and fully, and never to reach out and take the problem back to ourselves. If we let God have it and keep it for good, and then cooperate with him, will stay sober. So ask yourself today, have I determined not to take the drink problem back to myself? The Meditation for the Day. Constant effort is necessary if I am to grow spiritually and develop my spiritual life. I must keep the spiritual rules persistently, perseveringly, lovingly, patiently, and hopefully. By keeping them, every mountain of difficulty shall be laid low, the rough places of poverty of spirit shall be made smooth, and all who know me shall know that God is the Lord of all my ways. To get close to the Spirit of God is to find life and healing and strength. The prayer for the day. I pray that God's spirit may be everything to my soul. I pray that God's spirit may grow within me. And today's final reading is from As Bill Sees It. Today we're reading from page 248. We need outside help. It was evident that a solitary self-appraisal and the admission of our defects based upon that alone wouldn't be nearly enough. We'd have to have outside help if we were surely to know and admit the truth about ourselves, the help of God and of another human being. Only by discussing ourselves, holding back nothing, only to be willing to take advice and accept direction, could we set foot on the road to straight thinking. solid honesty, and genuine humility. That's from the 12 and 12, page 59. If we are fooling ourselves, a competent advisor can see this quickly. And as he skillfully guides us away from our fantasies, we are surprised to find that we have few of the usual urges to defend ourselves against unpleasant truths. In no other way can fear, pride, and ignorance be so readily melted. After a time, we realize that we are standing firm on a brand new foundation for integrity, and we gratefully credit our sponsors, whose advice pointed the way. And that's from an article in a grapevine from August of 1961. So that's it for today's readings. Thanks everybody for listening. If you'd like to send your thoughts and your comments on today's readings or request to be a guest reader on the show, send me an email at soberreadingswithscottatgmail.com or you can go to my website soberreadings.com and fill out the form. While you're there, if you haven't already, click that scrolling red link to follow the show. And if you'd like to donate a dollar for today's readings, click the donate button. Again, thanks for listening. Take care of yourselves and each other. And remember, just for today, don't drink, go to a meeting, and keep coming back. Have a great day. And as my friend Larry says, best day ever.