Spotlight On Sobriety 11/02/2025
- newslettervoluntee
- Oct 27
- 6 min read
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Spotlight On Sobriety 11/02/2025
Principles Behind Step Three
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
Faith — The Power of Letting Go
If Step One was surrender and Step Two was hope, Step Three is trust in action.
This step asks us to do something radical: to turn over our will—our thinking, planning, and controlling—and our lives—our actions and outcomes—to the care of something greater than ourselves. It is a step from belief to decision, from hope to faith.
In The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, we read that “the effectiveness of the whole A.A. program will rest upon how well and earnestly we have tried to come to ‘a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.’” (12 & 12, p. 34) This isn’t a one-time event but a lifelong process of release and renewal.
Faith, Not Fear
Many of us came into recovery clinging to self-reliance. We trusted our own judgment, even when it led us straight into chaos. As the Big Book puts it, “Self-will run riot, though we usually don’t think so.” (p. 62) Step Three asks us to face the truth that our best efforts, guided by fear or ego, brought pain—not peace.
Turning our will over is not about giving up responsibility; it’s about giving up control. It is faith replacing fear. We stop trying to manage everything and begin to trust that a loving Power can guide us better than our own limited understanding.
One writer describes this as “the great turning point” (Big Book, p. 59). It’s where we stop playing God. That’s a hard admission for most of us—it's a freeing one. When we decide to let go, we discover that life does not fall apart; it begins to come together.
Decision, Not Perfection
Step Three does not say we turned our will and our lives over—it says we made a decision to do so. That’s an important distinction. The decision comes first; the action unfolds as we continue through the remaining Steps.
For many of us, that decision began with a quiet prayer:
“God, I offer myself to Thee—to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt…”
(Big Book, p. 63)
That prayer isn’t a test of religious conformity. It’s a willingness statement. However we define our Higher Power—Love, Truth, Spirit, or simply the fellowship itself—the act of saying, I’m willing to be guided, opens the door to transformation.
Faith grows through practice, not perfection. As the 12 & 12 reminds us, “Faith means courage. All men of faith have courage. They trust their God.” (p. 36) Step Three calls for that courage—to act with trust even when the path ahead isn’t clear.
From Self-Will to God’s Will
Before recovery, we often demanded life go our way. We managed, manipulated, and controlled people and outcomes, convinced happiness depended on things turning out just right. But self-will was exhausting. Step Three introduces a gentler rhythm—cooperation instead of control.
When we turn our will and lives over, we don’t lose ourselves; we align ourselves. We begin to act from principles rather than impulses. We pause before reacting. We ask, “What’s the next right thing?” rather than “How do I get my way?”
The Big Book calls this “a new employer” (p. 62-63)—a conscious choice to let spiritual principles, not ego, direct our work. The result is serenity. We stop fighting life and start participating in it.
Living the Decision
Step Three is not theoretical; it’s practical. It shows up when we call a sponsor instead of isolating, when we pray or meditate instead of worrying, when we show up for service instead of indulging in self-pity. Each time we choose principle over impulse, we renew that Third-Step decision.
In early sobriety, one member described it this way:
“Each day I wake up and surrender again. That’s how I stay free.”
That rhythm is the heart of Step Three. Faith is not constant certainty—it’s the daily act of returning to trust.
The Freedom of Surrender
Step Three brings relief. When we stop trying to control everything, we find that life has room to breathe. The Big Book tells us, “We are now at the point where we must choose—God is or He isn’t. What was our choice to be?” (p. 53).
Choosing “yes” begins the spiritual awakening promised in the later Steps. We realize that faith is not about understanding everything—it’s about trusting enough to move forward.
As one sober friend once said,
“When I let go of the steering wheel, I finally stopped crashing.”
That is the paradox of Step Three: by surrendering, we gain freedom. By trusting, we grow strong. By turning our will and lives over, we find both peace and purpose.
Reflection
What does “turning it over” mean to me today?
Where am I still trying to run the show?
How can I practice faith instead of fear, trust instead of control?
Faith doesn’t mean everything will be easy. It means we no longer have to face it alone. Step Three reminds us that life, when guided by a Power greater than ourselves, can become not only manageable—but meaningful.
Yours in service,
Steve N.
WELCOME to New and Returning Members of the GaL-AA Executive Committee
The following actions were voted on and approved by the membership of GaL-AA at its Annual Meeting, Saturday, November 1, 2025, at 12:30 PM ET on Zoom.
GaL-AA is pleased to welcome the following trusted servants who have been elected and appointed to serve on the Executive Committee during 2026. Each candidate spoke before voting began to introduce themselves and discuss their willingness to serve on the Executive Committee:
Deputy Chair – Anil P.
Secretary – Chris B.
Advisor I – James R. - filling an unexpired term of one year.
Advisor II – Steve N. - for full term, 2 years.
Advisor III – Michael M. - filling an unexpired term of one year.
Introduction to Liaison Members–Two of our three appointed Liaison members were also introduced during the meeting. One position remains open. The appointees are:
Liaison I – Liz M.
Liaison II – Julie B.
If you are interested in the additional liaison position, which is a board appointed position, please send your service resume to “elections@gal-aa.org”.
The following bylaw changes were also approved. (see the Annual Meeting Page for the full text of these changes) The purpose is to provide clarity, broaden membership information, add meeting information, and update our bylaws to more closely adhere to current business practices.
Section 1.0, a and b: Correct by removing “Service” from Internal Revenue Code
Section 2.0: Revise and update “Statement of Inclusion”.
Section 3.0, a: Add provision to join GaL-AA through approved social media outlets, b: clarify provisions for member voting, c: specify that financial support is optional and not a requirement for membership.
Section 7.0, a ii: Remove Advisor IV position: Remove specialties from Liaison positions.
Section 9.0, Add provision for Special Meeting notification through social media.
Section 11.0, a,b,c,d: Add language clarifying election cycle and procedures..
GaL-AA Election Committee
November Member AA Anniversaries
To add or edit your sobriety date, click on the link in the email you received from us. It is in the footer of the email where it says “update your preferences”. If you are not an email registered member yet, please click here to sign up.
Name Date Years
AJ | L | November 17, 2010 | 15 |
Anita | G | November 11, 1991 | 34 |
Arin | P | November 8, 2010 | 15 |
Bill | C | November 20, 1983 | 42 |
Bryan | T | November 10, 1991 | 34 |
Dana | S | November 18, 2006 | 19 |
David | S | November 16, 1992 | 33 |
Deborah | Y | November 4, 1979 | 46 |
Edrie | S | November 1, 2024 | 1 |
Eli | P | November 3, 1997 | 28 |
Gary | L | November 11, 2004 | 21 |
Howard | S | November 28, 1955 | 70 |
Jordie | N | November 30, 2021 | 4 |
Kathy | November 8, 1975 | 50 | |
Kimberli | A | November 18, 1989 | 36 |
Laura | Z | November 14, 1972 | 53 |
Lou | P | November 15, 1984 | 41 |
Luke | M | November 10, 2010 | 15 |
Mandy | S | November 10, 2018 | 7 |
Matthew | B | November 11, 2020 | 5 |
Nancy | G | November 30, 1986 | 39 |
Neil | K | November 15, 2006 | 19 |
Paul | P | November 7, 2015 | 10 |
Roger | J | November 30, 2019 | 6 |
Roxanne | S | November 8, 1987 | 38 |
Selecia | Y-J | November 19, 2003 | 22 |
Sonny | H | November 15, 2024 | 1 |
Tarah Rose | G | November 11, 2022 | 3 |
Thomas | C | November 12, 1990 | 35 |
Wendy | S | November 15, 2009 | 16 |
Chicago Round-Up 11/14 through 11/16
Spotlight On Sobriety 11/02/2025
The Spotlight On Sobriety features personal stories, articles and reflections submitted by members and friends of the fellowship. The views expressed are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of Alcoholics Anonymous or GaL-AA.
Your GaL-AA Newsletter Team
