It’s amazing how we can make time for everything else in our lives—work, errands, entertainment, even worry—but how easily God can be pushed to the edges. Yet, if we are honest, everything good in our lives flows from Him. Each day begins and ends with a simple question:
Bill Wilson, often called Bill W., in 1935 was the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)—a fellowship that has helped millions find freedom from addiction through spiritual principles. Bill W. didn’t just create a program for sobriety; he offered a way of life rooted in humility, honesty, service, and daily conscious contact with God. His words speak to anyone seeking a deeper spiritual connection, not just those in recovery.
Bill W. wrote in Step Eleven of Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions:
“Prayer and meditation are our principal means of conscious contact with God… We ask simply throughout the day for the next right thought or action, and for freedom from self-will.”
This conscious contact isn’t about long, elaborate rituals; it’s about pausing—morning, noon, and night—to turn our thoughts toward Him.
In my AA home group, we put it plainly:
Where you at with God, Clean House, Who you helping?
These three questions are a daily spiritual inventory. They bring us back to the foundation of recovery—and of life itself.
Bill W. reminds us in the Big Book of AA (p. 86-88):
“When we retire at night, we constructively review our day. Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid? … Do we owe an apology? … After making our review we ask God’s forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken.”
And upon waking:
“We ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. Under these conditions we can employ our mental faculties with assurance, for after all God gave us brains to use. Our thought-life will be placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives.”
This is how we “clean house” daily—not in shame, but in honesty. We admit where we fell short, where self-will crept in, and we hand it back to God.
Bill W. later he wrote in 1950:“As we become more conscious of God’s presence, we begin to lose our fear of today, tomorrow, and the hereafter. We acquire a new sense of belonging, of being at home in our own skin and with God.”
And that’s the upward striving. Not perfection, not earning God’s love, but simply turning toward Him again and again. When we make room for Him in the morning, pause for Him throughout the day, and hand the day back to Him at night, we keep our spiritual house in order.
Because in the end, our purpose is simple: Where are you with God, Clean House, Who you helping?
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” – Proverbs 9:10
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” – James 4:10
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, this day is Yours. Help me begin it with You, live it with You, and return it to You. Show me where I’ve fallen short, give me the courage to clean house, and open my heart to help those You place in my path. Teach me to pause when I’m restless or doubtful, and to trust Your will above my own. Keep me close to You, today and always. Amen.
