I’ll begin with a couple of reminders. First, progress not perfection … that true agency is a North Star I set my compass toward not a possession I’m expecting to acquire or achieve … I navigate with this aspiration not delude myself that it’s mine. Second, the Twelve & Twelve assertion “the more we become willing to depend upon a Higher Power, the more independent we actually are.”(p.36)
Agency is my capacity to act independently and make free choices. It is the power to be the “author” of my life rather than a passive observer or an enslaved prisoner.
Core Components of Agency
- Intentionality: The ability to form plans and carry them out.
- Navigation: Setting goals, taking actions and anticipating outcomes while maintaining flexibility to adapt and adjust as ‘more is revealed’.
- Self-Reactiveness: Regulating my behavior and staying motivated.
- Self-Reflectiveness: Evaluating my thoughts and the impact of my actions to both myself and others.
True agency is not doing whatever I want, but the ability to align with divine principles to create a life of purpose, freedom, and meaning.
Finding true agency “with God” involves shifting from ego-driven control—often characterized by self-will—to an aligned, collaborative relationship where I act as a partner with a Higher Power.
For me, this means releasing the illusion of my personal control (Step 3) to gain true freedom of choice (Step 12), allowing for a personality change that produces consistent, right actions and a sense of ‘conscious connection’ to a God I experience but may not understand.
Key aspects of finding true agency ‘with God’ include:
- Surrender as Empowerment: True agency is not lost, but transformed, through surrender. By turning my will and life over to God, I escape the enslavement of my own ‘out of proportion’ desires and addictions.
- Alignment Over Force: Spiritual experiences and agency are revealed rather than manufactured, often appearing as a slow, quiet transformation that results from alignment with God rather than forced effort.
- The “With God” Mindset: A “With God” mindset implies active partnership, where I act as God’s agent, expressing divine qualities like forgiveness and compassion rather than just serving my own desires and self-will.
- Freedom of Choice: Agency is recognized as my God-given right and power to choose, acting according to moral principles, rather than being “acted upon” by addiction or external circumstances and internal demands.
- Service as Action: True agency is frequently demonstrated through service and following spiritual guidance, which allows individuals to make decisions that are not self-serving but align with a greater Divine purpose.
For a deeper connection between agency and the Big Book, check out this article.