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One ultimate authority

AS I continue my journey through the Rooms and enter different positions of service, I find this Tradition becoming more and more important...

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“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”.

AS I continue my journey through the Rooms and enter different positions of service, I find this Tradition becoming more and more important for keeping my own ego in check and helping me to understand the structure of the wider Programme as a whole. It’s very easy for me to start feeling smug or over-confident at what I am doing, to go “Hey look at me guys, look at all I’m doing for all of you!” and it is still not easy to banish those cocky thoughts entirely. But this Tradition helps me to remember that it isn’t about me or my personal service when it comes to the Programme as a whole.

I do certain things, yes, I hold positions which could be considered ‘higher up’ than I used to. Does that make me better or more cured than anyone who doesn’t yet hold these positions? Certainly not! I’m nobody’s boss in the Programme and although I can’t speak for others, I feel very sure that the wonderful people who sponsored me into these positions – and my sponsor himself for that matter – wouldn’t consider themselves my boss or superior. 

There are of course different levels of service position in AA, some requiring a longer period of sobriety or more commitment in terms of time and work but at the end of the day we are all alcoholics looking to work our Programmes and help other alcoholics along the path of recovery in whichever way we can. This Tradition reminds us of this and keeps us grounded in the reality of equality.

As this Tradition says, there is only one true authority – God as we understand Him, whatever we need Him to be. Not to get too bogged down in the ‘God’ word – I am an atheist (or maybe spiritual agnostic) as are many others, while of course many different religions and belief systems are represented in the Rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous – but the key thing is that we all look towards our Higher Power, our understanding of God whatever that may be, for guidance. This Higher Power grants me guidance and strength every day, helping me to stay ‘right-sized’ (not too big-headed, not feeling too small) as I do my service and pass the message on to other alcoholics as best I can. And although there are no bosses or supervisors, the structure and discipline of the Programme keeps me on track and reinforces for me how powerful the strength and support of my Higher Power is. 

This Tradition reminds me daily of one of the most important lessons I’ve ever learned – that, at the end of the day, there is always one ultimate source of strength and inspiration available to guide me through my journey of sobriety. So, thank you, Higher Power – and thank you to all my wonderful friends in the Rooms for the experience, hope and strength you also provide me, I am as always so grateful to all of you.

ROBBIE H, Northampton