Tradition Two: One Ultimate Authority

Tradition Two: One Ultimate Authority

Tradition Two: For our group purpose, there is but one ultimate authority–a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.

I don’t know about you, but I just love running the show, being in charge, telling other people what to do. When I was five years old, I told my family I wanted to be President. Coming into OA and turning my will and life over to a Higher Power, admitting I couldn’t handle my own life, that I am powerless over food? That was a crushing blow to my oversized ego. And I’m so grateful for that. It was the ego-crushing that enabled me to admit that I was powerless and to finally accept help.

Even after all these years, I still have to keep my ego in check. I still want to be the boss of everyone, especially when I am in fear and projecting about the future and worrying that the whole world will fall apart if I don’t stand here holding it all together. The reality is that my ego being in charge is the fastest way for everything to disintegrate completely. After all, ego is just an acronym for “edging God out.”

If I am trusted with a service position, I’m grateful to be of help to the group. I’m grateful to have something that makes me come back each week, even when I’m tired and don’t feel like being there. If I hear something or see something happening in a meeting that I think goes against a Tradition, I speak up and share my perspective. And then I trust that the group conscience will do the right thing…even if that is not what I thought should happen. I’m not in charge; the group conscience is.

If I can remember today that there is but one ultimate authority not only in OA, but in my life as well, I can turn things over to my Higher Power and be a trusted servant of my Higher Power’s will for me. I can do my Higher Power’s work well, and when I do that, I get a life of sane and happy usefulness as a result.

Journal Prompt: How can I be a trusted servant for my Higher Power today?

Please send your blog submissions to blog@oasv.org. We look forward to hearing from you and to sharing your story of experience, strength and hope with others on this amazing journey of OA recovery from compulsive eating through the Twelve Steps.