Thursday, May 26, 2011

INNER AUTHORITY

A good friend and I had a conversation recently about how sometimes we feel like we need others to give us permission to take care of ourselves.  I know that before I burned out, this was more often than not the case.  Somehow, I felt like unless someone else told me I could have some time off or time alone, I couldn't justify doing it. 

Within our conversation, the phrase, "Inner Authority" came to my mind.  I realized that in order to be fully mature and healthy, I needed to have an appropriate sense of inner authority.  As I thought about Jesus, I saw that that was what he most definitely had.  Because he knew who he was and whose he was, he was able to act rightly in every situation.  He was free to eat with whomever he wanted to, free to sleep on the boat in the middle of a storm, free to turn over the tables at the temple, and ultimately, free to be betrayed and crucified.

As I grow in my knowledge and union with Christ, I want more of his inner authority.  This is my prayer for myself as well as for all those who struggle with looking to others for permission to live fully.