FEAR AND FAITH

Fear and faith are two sides of the same coin in recovery. The Big Book teaches us that fear is the chief activator of our defects — it's the root of resentment, selfishness, and dishonesty. On [Page 68], we're told to list our fears and ask why we have them, because fear blocks us from God's will. But faith is the antidote. On [Page 85], it says, 'We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.' That maintenance is faith in action — trusting a Power greater than ourselves to handle what we can't. When fear whispers, 'You're not going to make it,' faith replies, 'I don't have to make it on my own.' So for someone in recovery, this theme means recognizing fear as a signal to double down on spiritual practices: prayer, meditation, and step work. The more we lean into faith, the less room fear has to run the show.