10/20/2026
RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE THING
~MARK HOUSTON 10/14/46-2/19/10
"Today I know that I am responsible for one thing and one thing only. I am responsible to do the things necessary so that I can be a channel, so that God's Power, God's Love, and God's Way of Life can come through me and touch you. Period. End of statement. Nothing more. That's all I have to do. If I do that, the Power does the rest. The Power shows me where I'm gonna live, who's gonna be in my life, how much I'm gonna make, where I'm gonna go, what I'm gonna do. Wow, what a deal for someone like us. It says that the WHOLE function of the Big Book is that I'm going to take a series of actions to allow a Power which is inside me, to begin to manifest and become real in my life, and this Power will do for me that which I have never been able to do for myself. THAT'S what this Program is.
It is NOT a program of getting yourself sober and keeping yourself sober. But I didn't know this until I began to make it a way of life. If anyone in this room is sober tonight and ever drinks again, you will drink because of your self-will. The Big Book says, "Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We must or it kills us!" So that's what we're up against. If you're a real alcoholic or drug addict, that's what you're up against. You're not up against alcohol or drugs. You're up against your selfishness.
Now here's the great trap. The very thing that will take you back to alcohol and drugs you create and there isn't anything you can do about it. Ain't that great? I create the very thing within me that makes me diseased that will convince my mind, in spite of grave consequences, to go take a drink when I know I shouldn't take a drink. Although I have a desire not to take a drink, I'll do it anyhow and there's nothing I can do about that on my power. And then we wonder why they look at us and say, "I can't help you, you have to go find God." Because it's the truth, they can't help us. We are beyond human aid. The Twelve Steps are the only vehicle I've ever known that keeps my ego right-sized."
~Mark H.
