Not Sitting Back

I prayed Step Seven three months ago. I asked God to remove my defensiveness. Then I assumed God would do the work while I waited for results. But yesterday in a meeting someone gave me gentle feedback and I immediately got defensive - justifying, explaining, deflecting. Afterward I was frustrated. I prayed about this. Why is it still here?

Sitting back and behaving in the same old ways while asking God to remove the defects is not effective. Not effective. This confronts my passivity. I thought Step Seven meant I ask and God removes while I continue my normal patterns. But asking God to remove defensiveness doesn't excuse me from cooperation when feedback comes. I have to pause. I have to choose differently. I have to act.

God is removing the defect but I have to cooperate by not practicing it. When feedback arrives and defensiveness wants to activate I can't just think well I prayed about this and then defend myself anyway. I have to catch the impulse. Stop. Breathe. Choose a different response. Maybe: Thank you for that feedback. Let me think about it. The asking and the cooperating work together. God provides the power to change. I provide the willingness to act differently when moments of choice arrive.

Today I can identify one situation where my defect usually activates. When it arises, I'll pause before my automatic response. In that pause, pray one sentence: God, help me choose differently right now. Then act on the new choice rather than sitting back and repeating old patterns while hoping God removes them passively.