When we are children, we are trained to ask for permission to do just about everything.  At home, we ask what snack we are allowed to have.  At school, we ask if we can go to the bathroom.  As children, we have very little authority to do anything without the permission of an adult.

One of the challenges of becoming an adult to learn to let go of the idea that we need someone else’s approval to do things.  It can be a need for approval for little things.  “Does this dress look good on me?”  To big things.  “Should I quit my job?”

However, as adults, we need to learn to rely on our own judgment.  We need to learn to trust ourselves.  We need to make decisions and be willing to bear the consequences.

A lot of people get stuck in life, whether it be in bad marriages or bad jobs, because they are looking for permission to do what is necessary to improve their lives.  Unfortunately, no one is going to tell you to make a big change.  No one wants you to blame them if things don’t go well.  So as adults, we need to make decisions and take responsibility for the good and bad consequences of those decisions.

Similarly, some people don’t pursue their dreams because they are waiting for someone to tell them that they have enough brains, talent or beauty to do whatever it is that they want to do.  If you are waiting for someone to tell you to do something amazing with your life, you are going to be waiting a long time.  Most people will tell you to be “realistic.”  They are going to cite the statistics which say that you have a one in a million shot of achieving your dreams.  Ignore them.  No one who has ever achieved anything great has gotten permission to do so.  They simply have been bold and gone for it.

Some of the best things I’ve done in my life have been done without permission, and sometimes without the support of others.  For example, my husband and I married without much support.  It was a second marriage for both of us, so many people were wrapped up in how our getting married would affect them.  We got married anyway.  And it is the best decision I ever made.  We are an amazing team, and he is a top notch husband.  Our marriage has been one of my greatest blessings.  And I am glad we didn’t wait for permission to start our beautiful life together.

The only permission that you need in life is from God.  How do you get His permission?  Through prayer.  And through listening to the still, small voice.  This is the voice that is God urging you to do more than you think you are capable of doing.  It is the voice that tells you to jump out of your comfort zone, to use your God-given talents, and to be a blessing in this world.  It is the voice that says you were ordained by the Creator to do something wonderful with your life.

Today, consider whether you are holding yourself back because you think you need the permission of your friends or family to do something important.  Make a decision to let go of the need for the approval of others, and follow God.  He has a plan for your life.  He wants you to be His representative on earth.  He wants you to use your talents and abilities to bless others.  And His is the only permission that you need.

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