Affirming Tradition Four

Today’s ‘Pay forward’ gift is Affirming Tradition Four. Let me remember that the one I am sharing with and myself must come to our own decisions or agreements but not at anyone else’s expense. We are drawn to one another for a common purpose, which we are conscious of—or not. This Tradition gives us the freedom to express our individual part of our common purpose. We have the right to be self-governing. We may choose to give up that right, by giving our power to others to govern; it’s our choice. We became ‘children of chaos’. We can, with some limitations, do as we please until that doing takes away from another. When we are ego-driven, fear-driven, selfish, and self-centred, we claim a right to govern the world. Part of the healing or growing has to do with regaining that privilege of being self-governing. Changing responsibility from others back to ourselves is often painful; the pain is increased by our resisting that change. Some of us have an automatic fearful reaction to any change. Any time a fear is in sight, give it to your Higher Power–He is a Miracle Worker. Letting forces outside our relationship govern it is a sure way to set ourselves up for failure. We must feel free within our relationship before we can choose; we can gain that freedom to choose by choosing to surrender our relationship to our Higher Power, within us doing the works called life. Thy Love, Thy Will be done.