A “Higher Power” is something greater than ourselves. It’s a term used in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith. AA was inspired by another Christian organization called the Oxford Group, which was founded in 1921. Frank Buchman, Lutheran minister and the founder of the Oxford Group, believed that surrendering one’s life to God was the only way to peace and reconciliation of our wrongdoings. He emphasized a relationship with Jesus Christ rather than any works we could do to merit salvation. The Oxford Group believed in four absolutes taken from scripture:
- Love–1 Corinthians 13:4-7: “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
- Purity–Psalm 51:10: “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.”
- Honesty–Proverbs 10:9: “People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.”
- Unselfishness–Galatians 5:24: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.”
These four virtues were carried over into AA several years later by Bill Wilson. Wilson suffered from alcoholism and was hospitalized several times for the treatment of alcoholism before he reached the age of 39.
