STEP SIX

Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

When the natural desires drive us blindly, or we willfully demand that they supply us with more satisfactions or pleasures, that is where we depart from the degree of perfection that God wishes for us. No matter how far we have progressed, desires will always be found which oppose the grace of God. We can feel a little superior to the next fellow or hide lust in a dark corner of minds? Self-righteous anger also can be very enjoyable. Gossip barbed with our anger, a polite form of murder by character assassination has also its satisfactions.

Over the centuries, people have asked, "Why does evil exist in this world? Why is there so much pain, so much wrong and so little right?" These questions are fundamental to the learning process, spiritual growth and in conquering ignorance. What then, is evil? Evil is the condition that exists when good does nothing. Good is the light of creative action. Evil is the darkness of inaction. Where there is no good, there is only evil.

Action is the key to all existence. Without action, there is only stasis and the emptiness of nonexistence. Where there is action, there is life and creation. The most important thing to realize is that it is your actions that determine the outcome and thus faith with out action is dead.

Your actions as an individual are important. All the things that can be thought of will never be more than a dream, unless acted upon. To end evil, you must act. To cure disease, you must act. To end starvation, you must act. It does not matter what it is - if you want change, you must act (Step 1- Life unmanageable-needs action). Your words and prayers are nothing compared to the power of a single action.

It all begins with you. There are two kinds of actions you can do - right and wrong. Right action creates and wrong action destroys. The final stage of spiritual evolvement is when all your actions are right actions.

Each day, you have a chance to change the course of your life. The first step is to examine what it is that makes you the person you are. You are the sum of your actions. What were the actions you took today? Were they all right actions? The first step is to realize what actions you are taking. Each time you act, mentally analyze what type of action that was. If it is a wrong action, admit it - then say to your self 'I will not do that type of action again.

Inside each of us is a small and independent form of thought process. It's called our conscience. It's the little voice that tells you when you have been bad, and when you have been good. As your conscience begins to feel more assured that you can handle the job of determining right from wrong, it will start to take over functions. It will begin to automatically eliminate wrong thoughts, leading to wrong actions, even being generated. You, as a person, will begin to channel your energy towards right action.

This recognizing of wrong thought is only half the process. The other half is to create right thoughts where there were none before. You start by doing one good deed a day. You create the thought, recognize it as right thought, and then tell yourself to carry it out. After a time, you will begin to generate these right thoughts without a conscious effort. You will be projecting right thought out to those around you. Your right actions will be altering another being's behavior. Your actions will speak louder than any words you have ever spoken.

It is not an easy task, to do only right. There will be times when others will do wrong to you. You may do wrong in return to them, but the only one you have really wronged is yourself. These actions become part of you, they are you. Do right actions even to those who would do wrong to you? Do well to others with out thinking about any thing in return? There you will find the source of all right thought. There you will find the source of all life. You will have progressed spiritually.

This is the journey through the ocean of life. Realize your thoughts and take control over them. Guide your thoughts toward right thought. When you know in your heart the difference between right and wrong, you will know what needs to be changed. And with this wisdom, all becomes obtainable. Are we ready now to let God remove from us all faults, imperfections, and shortcomings?

1. We now become ready and willing to have God remove the defects in our character.
2. Remember it is our character we are working on and not other fellows. We should drop our critical and superior attitude toward others.
3. We must clean our mind of wrong thinking, jealousy, envy, self-pity, and remorse, etc.
4. It is here that we drop our resentments, anger, hatred, and revenge.
5. We turn our will over to God and let his will direct us to remove, one by one, all defects in our character.