'Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power (authority) to men.' Matthew 9:8
'And they said to Him, 'By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?'
Authority: 'exousia'; the power of choice, physical and mental power, the power of influence and privilege, the power of judicial decisions, competency, freedom, token of control, strength.
Consider the world Jesus lived in. Consider the experiences of connection in relationship, knowing and revealing His Father, speaking what was given Him in His heart, and believing in Hope for the future He saw through His Father's eyes. Consider, as well, the intimate betrayal of those He loved deeply, the temptation to live for self, the pain of watching sin dominate the lives of those He saw every day, and the thought of loss along the way (John 17:12).
In this context, Jesus demonstrated authority for us to learn from. Authority is not telling someone or someone what to do because you are the boss of them. It is not having power to get what you want, even if it seems good. Authority is the privilege of being competent to choose freely. It is the power to intentially influence. Authority defies enslavement, and this is the experiential fulfillment of Christ's redemptive work!
Addiction and betrayal trauma do the same thing: they enslave the person to the deception and pain of sin. We know that, deception binds someone to the self-centered view of his/her own world. When lies and secrets are kept in covenant relationship, there is an inability to love authentically and freely. 'Love' becomes tainted and tethered to self-centeredness and the fear of consequences. Just the same, in the chaos of addiction and trauma, choices that are driven by an avoidance of pain cannot possibly be birthed through a freedom to choose love! They can only be birthed through bondage.
What can we say to this, then? How can authority even be possible when healing from the devastation of betrayal?
In my own personal journey, I continually learn the humbling truth that sin is not permissable...EVER! In his book 'Addiction and Grace,' Gerald May says this:
'God goes on loving us regardless of who we are or what we do. This does not mean God is like a permissive human parent who makes excuses and ignores the consequences of a child's behavior. Such permissiveness is more cowardly than loving, because it devalues the child's capacity for dignity and responsibility. In God's constantly respectful love, the consequences of our actions are very real, and they can be horrible, and we are responsible. We are even responsible for the compulsive behaviors of our addictions. The freedom that God preserves in us has a double edge. On the one hand, it means there is no authentic escape from the truth of our own choices. On the one hand, it means God's love and empowerment are always with us. On the other, it means there is no authentic escape from the truth of our choices,' (page 123).
Personally, this meant that, if I wanted to exercise authority in my life, I had to come to terms with two things:
1. The sin of my husband's betrayal and lies was HIS, and it was completely UNPERMISSABLE.
That meant that I had to STOP taking responsibility for it and I had to stop hiding it under a rug and pretending it wasn't there.
2. My heart could not judge accurately what responses to make if it was hindered or enslaved to self-deception or fear of pain. I needed to know my own value as God sees it, where my responsibility for my own sin existed, and where I was still healing from the shatteredness of his choices. Then, I could freely make choices and intentionally execute influence in my life.
Where are you at in this part of the journey? More importantly, do you understand where God is at as He initiates His love freely in our current state?
Gerald May continues by saying:
'Even when our choices are destructive and their consequences hurtful, God's love remains unwavering. Thus, regardless of our own insulation and defensiveness, God is constantly open and vulnerable to us...Such is the constancy of God's love.'
Do you understand what has been offered you through the Gospel? Do you understand what is possible for you, even now, despite suffering and pain of betrayal? There is opportunity for authority, which is the freedom in Christ that prevailed over sin and changed the world! If you would like to learn more about my own journey, or the lessons I have learned through my own story of initmate betrayal, please reach out. I would love to hear from you and hear your story as well!
Warmly,
Jana
Beginsathome22@gmail.com
APR 19, 2024
#4: Authority
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