9. Biblical Principles for Exercising Authority
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Biblical Principles for Exercising authority
Why do we spend money to buy an umbrella? The answer is simple. During the rainy season, we want to be protected from the driving rain. In the summer when it’s blistering hot, we want protection from the heat. Similarly, delegated authority is God’s appointed protection for the people under them.
But suppose there are holes in the umbrella—it can’t protect those under it. When the umbrella (authority) doesn’t function any longer, all those who should be protected get rained on, scorched, humiliated and injured. All who are in authority should consider how sobering their responsibility is.
David sinned by numbering his fighting men.1 Joab, his right-hand man, said, “Oh, my lord! With little or much we get along fine. God is with us! What makes you want to go and figure out how strong you are? Please don’t do this” (2 Samuel 24:3, paraphrased). But David wouldn’t listen.
Then the judgment of God fell. Why? Because of this leader’s sin. And who got hurt? Not just David, but thousands of innocent people.
Although many suffer when there is ungodly authority, ultimately it is those in authority who are held responsible for their stewardship of the people God has entrusted to them. Thus, requirement for those in authority is more severe than we may want to acknowledge.
Let me remind you that to some degree, all of us are in authority. If you are an older brother, you are partially responsible for your younger sisters and brothers. If you are a father, you are responsible for your wife and your children. If your parents are dead and you have siblings under you, according to the Bible you are the one responsible. If you are an older sister in the local church, the Bible says you should instruct the younger ones.2
However, only the one who is under authority himself can be an authority, for all authority comes from God. No matter what position or title we have, we must live with the awareness that each of us is under authority.
My responsibility is that of a leader over a movement with several thousand pastors and Christian workers in many nations. Yet I am not without authorities over me. I am under a number of delegated authorities in my life.
In my culture, when my father died, my mother became the authority. When my mother passed away, my oldest brother assumed that role.
I remember one time I went to my village on a return visit from the United States. My oldest brother and I started talking, and he said something that upset me. I even began arguing with him. He raised his voice and said, “You think you know everything. But remember, I represent our father.” I knew exactly what he meant.
I was angry. I got in the car, and my driver drove off. We traveled from my home in Niranam to a place called Kadapra (about three kilometers away). As we came to the intersection where we would next turn toward the airport to catch my flight to Europe, I suddenly told the driver, “Turn around.”
“Turn around?” he asked. “Where are we going?”
“Back home,” I said.
We quickly returned to the place where the earlier argument had taken place. I looked out and saw my brother still there. The first statement he said was, “I knew you would come back.”
He was right. During those three kilometers I had said to myself, What have I done? I got out of the car and hugged my brother. I said, “Please forgive me. I am so sorry,” and he cried.
Then he said, “Let me pray for you.” And he did. Then I got back in the car and headed again toward the airport. Being in a significant leadership position in my world didn’t release me from respecting the authority of my eldest brother.
Look around and you can quickly see the families, churches, businesses, communities and nations that are destroyed because of the sins of those in authority. Adolf Hitler is only one recent example of how a great nation can be destroyed by one individual in authority.
Think about Eli the priest, who failed to give leadership to his sons and had to hear about them dying an untimely death at the hand of God.3
I can think of churches and ministries damaged due to sin and unwise decisions made by a pastor or leader. I’m sure you know a number of similar situations.
It is with this sobering reality in mind that we next search the Scriptures as to what the Lord’s desire is for those He has placed in leadership.
Authority Comes from God
Romans 13:1 tells us, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God” (emphasis mine). We are not the Authority. God alone is the Authority. All authority is appointed and directed by Him.
When this perspective is fully understood and applied, it will transform any leader. It is incredibly important for us to remember that the basis for our authority is not appointment by man, our title or our own power but rather the fact that God Almighty set us in that position. When we forget this, we assume God’s position of authority and are actually seeking to sit on His throne!
King Nebuchadnezzar did this very thing.4 He was the mighty king of ancient Babylon. His city was a wonder of the world, unmatched by anything else. Who hasn’t heard of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? He was truly an amazing man. Yet he only had authority based on the fact that God, the Almighty, gave it to him.
One day Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. The prophet Daniel told the king its meaning: “You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes” (Daniel 4:25, NIV).
Twelve months later, the ruler’s dream became reality. We read about the king boasting, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30, NIV). Then even as the words were barely out of his mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying,
“This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar:
Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes” (Daniel 4:31-32, NIV).
What had been foretold was fulfilled. Nebuchadnezzar was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. He remained in that confused state for the allotted time.
Then at the end of that season of learning, Nebuchadnezzar says:
“I . . . raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth”
(Daniel 4:34-35, NIV).
His lesson learned, King Nebuchadnezzar’s sanity was restored.
What a sobering story.
It shows us how serious an affront it is to the Lord when we assume His authority. Whatever position we are in, it is God who put us there. He can just as easily remove us.
Civil servants, police, judges and the like enforce the laws, but they don’t make them. Laws are made by a higher authority. In the same way, as someone in authority, we are only responsible to execute what the Lord has given us to do.
A few years ago, I flew into the Frankfurt International Airport in Germany, planning to take a domestic flight to Berlin. I gave my passport to the immigration officer, and he started to flip through it. I wondered to myself, What is he looking for?
“Where is your visa?” he asked.
“I don’t need a visa,” I replied. “Can’t you see how many stamps I have in my passport? I have been here plenty of times.”
He looked at me and explained, “They changed the law. Didn’t you hear? Indians are now required to have a visa to get into Germany.”
I pulled out my air tickets and said, “But look at this. I have to go to Berlin. I have a meeting. They are waiting for me.” He listened to my whole desperate speech. But in the end he just made this statement, “Sir, I don’t make the laws. I only execute them.”
As we realize this, it will help us be humble leaders. We are not God. We are only His delegated authority. If people under us don’t obey us, they are really responding to the Lord in rebellion. It is His job to take care of it. We don’t have to feel guilty and try to make anything happen. This gives us great relief.
lead by Example
An ambassador to another country carries the responsibility and weight of properly representing his or her homeland. Everything communicated and done is received as a reflection of the policies, beliefs and wishes of the government. This is a heavy responsibility, and failure to accurately represent his or her country is a serious matter.
Now, as a delegated authority of Almighty God, think how serious our responsibility is. What we say, what we do and how we take care of those He has entrusted to us are a reflection on Him.
Writing to the seven churches in the book of Revelation, Christ did not address His warnings to the congregations. Rather, He addressed them to the pastor of the church.
Looking back on ecclesiastical history, there is a direct correlation between the Dark Ages of the Church and the times those in authority greatly misrepresented their Lord. Think of the Inquisition, even the Crusades, and the thousands murdered by the Church in the name of God. These leaders were blind and deaf to the living God. When those in authority go wrong, everything goes haywire.
Read through 1 and 2 Kings, and you’ll quickly see how God’s people suffered when their leaders went wrong.5
The truth is, people often suffer because of their leaders. At the same time, all leaders are responsible to God for those He has entrusted to them: “[Your spiritual leaders’] work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God” (Hebrews 13:17, nlt). So who must fear the most? Not the people. Rather, the one in authority must serve the Lord, understanding the grave seriousness of his or her responsibility.
Godliness and proven character are supremely important for all leaders. Unless we maintain close fellowship with God through the Word, prayer and fasting, how will we properly represent the Authority? How will we know what instructions He is giving us? How will we know how to exercise authority over the people and the work God has appointed to us?
If Jesus needed to stay in such close contact with God that He could say He only did what His Father showed Him to do, how much more do we need the same? How can we assume that we can get by even for a moment without involving the Father, if Jesus could not? If He desperately needed the Father’s input, don’t we even more so need to hear from the Lord in all we do?
As leaders, we need to be people who can be watched and followed. In 1 Corinthians Paul says, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (11:1, NIV). He didn’t say, “Follow me. I have knowledge.” No. He simply said, “Follow me—my life, the example you have seen in me as I have followed Christ.” As we follow Christ closely, others should then be able to follow us.
But how can you and I be an example to those we lead unless our hearts are right before God and man? Without honesty and integrity in our dealings, how can we possibly represent the living Lord?
Don’t let the wall around your family, your ministry or whatever the realm of your responsibility be broken down through your anger, bitterness, greed, lust or other sins. Don’t be like the leaders from church history or in the Old Testament accounts who led their people into darkness. May God help us fear Him, knowing we will be held accountable for all those He has put in our care.
Pick up your Cross
A godly authority is someone who walks a narrow road—daily choosing to die to self. It is not possible to function as a godly authority without self-denial, for often we must die to our own desires in order to carry out His assignments.
Galatians 2:20 should be true in our lives: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” When strong-willed individuals are in authority, they have a tendency of getting in the way of representing God and being a leader who builds others. Like King Saul, though they remain in a position of leadership, their effectiveness is gone. Their focus is not on the Lord, but rather on themselves.
There may be some who believe that being in authority will make their lives easier. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a matter of fact, being a good leader means working more, praying more, fasting more, suffering more and facing more misunderstandings. It is the parents who fast and pray desperately for their children. A godly leader is one who often deliberately chooses inconveniences to lead the people God has entrusted to him or her. It is not one who says, “How can I have an easier life, gain more recognition and have others as my servants?”
Few will follow you unless you show the way and also accept inconveniences. Paul illustrates this so well when he writes about his life among the Ephesians:
I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.
You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said:
“It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:33-35, NIV).
Ultimately it means that we need to come to a place of complete surrender. We are not representing ourselves. We are not leading for our own benefit. Our life is Christ’s, and what we do is for Him. To be a godly leader, our life must be surrendered to Him.
Surrender is submission. It is being someone who is not fighting for themselves, but is seeking to hear and obey the Lord. It means not only submitting to Him, but often submitting to one another as circumstances dictate.
To be in authority does not mean you no longer need to submit to others. Obviously there are always going to be people we are either responsible to or are elder to us. A heart that is surrendered does not resist these opportunities. Our flesh hates it, but there is a peace and rest that come only when our hearts are surrendered.
A few years ago, I was on the phone with George Verwer. He is the founder of Operation Mobilization, a worldwide movement, and one of the godliest individuals I know. He became my leader when I was barely 17 and joined Operation Mobilization. To this day I still consider him as my mentor.
During this conversation, George, unlike his normal character, said something that hurt me. I was caught by surprise. “George, listen,” I said. Then I talked back to him. I argued, saying something like, “Look, I’m sorry you are blaming me for this, but it is your people who are at fault.”
He said, “Oh, I am so sorry. I should have been more careful with my words.” The conversation went on, and we finished our discussion. I hung up the telephone.
But then I sat there in my office looking at the telephone. “What have I done?” I asked myself. I got scared. I had argued with George Verwer, which I never could have imagined doing! I picked up the telephone and called him back.
“Hello,” he said.
“Um,” I said, trying to hold back my emotions.
Again he said, “Hello,” but I couldn’t talk.
“Hello?”
I said, “George, it’s me. I am calling to ask you to forgive me.” There was silence. I continued, “I should never have talked to you like I did.”
I remember so clearly his next statement: “No wonder God has raised you up to such a position as this. Can I pray with you?”
I said yes. He prayed and blessed me and then hung up.
I didn’t want to call. It was difficult for me to do. Picking up our cross is always a choice between our own way and the Lord’s way.
Thomas a Kempis, a monk from the 14th century, said, “Carry the cross patiently, and with perfect submission; and in the end it shall carry you.”6 That is the way of surrender. In surrender we can be confident that the Lord will take care of the outcome and will cause our lives to bear much fruit.
Humility is a Must
Roy Hession says, “Humility, lamb-likeness, the surrender of our wills to God, are what He looks for supremely from man.”7
When Jesus described Himself, the words He chose were “gentle and humble.”8 We, as His delegated authority, can only rightly represent Him if we too are humble. Humility is knowing who we are in light of who God is. The more we comprehend who God truly is, the more humble we become.
You are in authority. You are a leader. You are intelligent. You have an education. You have a good income. Which of these did you not receive as a gift from God? If we compare ourselves to others, we can become proud. If we look at these assets in light of God Himself, what do they even matter?
Humility will sustain us, whereas pride will always hurt our authority. King Uzziah was only 16 when he became king.9 He did not know how to rule. This young man asked God for help, and He blessed him and stood by him. Uzziah became a mighty king. Then we read this sad verse: “When he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction” (2 Chronicles 26:16). When his story ends, we read that the king was confined to a leper colony. Pride, or lack of humility, was the reason for his fall. Uzziah forgot that it was God who blessed him and made him a successful delegated authority, not his own greatness.
Some may say in their hearts, “Don’t teach me. I know what I am doing! I don’t need to ask anybody for help.”
But the Lord says, “How sad. Don’t you see? You are naked. You are blind.” He then extends an invitation, “Walk away from all this. Come to Me, and I will restore your eyesight. But you have to admit that you are blind.”10Here is a strange truth: The moment we think we are better than someone else, we have violated this principle of authority, and humility is shattered. Consider others better than yourself. Now who said that? God did (see Philippians 2:3).
Often those in leadership fear that if they admit their sins, people will think less of them. The truth is that we are all failing people, and we will do wrong. Humility leads us to become godly authorities through admitting our failures. Even Paul, after 20 years of preaching, said that he was the chief of sinners.11 Who are we then? Why not be honest with people so they can say, “How interesting. He sometimes fails too. I have hope.”
C.S. Lewis writes:
Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call “humble” nowadays: he will not be a . . . person, who is always telling you that . . . he is nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him.
. . . He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.12
True humility transforms you from within so whatever you do has its flavoring. Every aspect of being an authority stems from our humility or our lack of it.
Without Force
Peter addresses the leaders of the church in 1 Peter:
Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock (1 Peter 5:1-3, nasb).
What does it mean to “lord it over”? The Oxford Dictionary defines this as “act in a superior and domineering manner.”13Domineering is defined this way: “showing a desire or tendency to exercise excessive control or authority over others.”14
God gave mankind free will. He does not force us to do anything. When we attempt as leaders to force obedience through manipulation of any kind, the Lord has no part in it, and we are not representing Him and His character.
There are various ways leaders manipulate people into obedience. Some use fear tactics to lord it over others. Sad to say, insecure leaders stoop to verbal abuse so they can remain in control of their people. We cannot forget the religious fundamentalists who brainwash the masses.
The abuse of power is devastatingly destructive—and yet so common. A cursory observation of cults is sufficient to convince anyone of this painful reality. The Shepherding Movement’s theology destroyed many lives through its pyramid structure and fear of being ostracized. With authoritative governments, we see the suffering of the masses who live in total fear. Whether it is an authority in the home, church, workplace or nation, innocent people are too frequently abused by leaders who are more concerned with being “in control” than taking care of their people. Whenever human dignity is violated and freedom is removed from the picture, authority is no longer biblical or beneficial.15
I remember talking to a Christian woman, a wife and mother of four children, who shared her pain and asked for prayer. “My husband is a good man,” she said. “He doesn’t abuse me physically, but from the first day of our marriage, he has abused me verbally. No matter what I say, he tells me, ‘You don’t know anything. You are to obey me and do what I tell you.’ ” She tried to share her heart with him about many things, but nothing worked. Finally she gave up.
Before her marriage, she was joyful and active in the Lord’s work. But now she is not allowed to do anything beyond her responsibilities as a wife and mother. She talked to her husband about the growing number of children they have. He would not listen to her. Though her health was poor, he insisted on having as many children as possible. She confided, “I died on the inside. I feel I am just a cook and a machine to produce offspring for him.”
Then she told me, “I love my husband, but I suffer greatly and often cry myself to sleep.”
This marriage is a case of abused authority. Her sad story is an example of an authority who is not concerned about representing the heart of the Lord in caring for those under him. Watchman Nee says, “But one who has been dealt with by
God has a special characteristic. He is not one to be unfaithful or to keep silent; he is faithful and he speaks, but he never forces people to accept his thought.”16 May this be our heart as we serve those under us.
The Servant of All
The Bible states that those who desire to be in a position of leadership desire a good thing.17 When the disciples argued among themselves about who was the greatest, Jesus didn’t say, “You crazy people. Don’t try to be great; you should try to be nothing and do nothing.” No, He made it clear: “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
Following the passage in which Jesus instructs them not to lord it over others like the Gentiles do, He closes by telling the disciples, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). If Christ, being God, chose to lead by serving rather than being served, how much more should we lead those placed under us by being a servant?
Hours before going to the cross, Jesus chose to leave His disciples with an example He wanted them to follow.18 In the middle of their last supper together, Jesus got up, laid aside His clothes and put a towel around His waist. He then went to each disciple, bent down and washed his feet.
Once He finished, He asked the Twelve, “Do you know what I have done to you?” (John 13:12). Then He went on to say, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” ( John 13:14-15).
This is the image Jesus wanted to leave with His followers—a leader who does not act superior to anyone but who looks for opportunities to serve and, even more so, to serve those he is responsible for. Jesus is our example. He shows us the way.
When we serve the Lord with humility, it means we are actively looking for ways to minister to others as their servant. Jesus concludes His object lesson by telling the disciples, “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them” ( John 13:17, nasb).
Govern with love and Grace
Just before Jesus challenged His disciples with His final example of being a servant, it says in John 13:1 ( NIV), “Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” Love is the track on which being a servant rides. There can be outward manifestations of being a servant, but these will only last so long before attitudes turn bitter, if the service is not done out of love.
Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” The Lord wants us to love those He has given us to be responsible for, to consider and care for them. Love and grace must always govern our judgments, decisions and ways of dealing with people when we are in a position of authority.
As I look back over my leadership in the work of God, one of my regrets is how I sometimes dealt with people. Although it
was not deliberate, often my unkind words, quick decisions and harshness hurt people. Because I am in leadership, people don’t often express their feelings, and many times I did not recognize what I had done. But they suffered. I wish I could go back and correct all these mistakes. All I can say now is, “Lord, forgive me. I want to learn.”
I have an instruction that I give to my people in leadership: I tell them to err on the side of grace and love, not on the side of legalism and being right. We should be fighting for our people to succeed and going out of our way to help them do better. Love covers a multitude of sins and maintains the dignity of others.
D.E. Hoste19 said of Hudson Taylor, “The high standard of selfsacrifice and toil which he ever kept before himself, never made him lacking in tenderness and sympathy toward those who were not able to go as far as he did in these respects.”20If God were to deal with me based on whether I did everything right, I would have been dead long ago. If it were not for the grace and mercy of God, none of us would still be alive. So much has been granted to us by a merciful God—how much more, then, should we in turn be gracious?
The parable of the lost son, in Luke 15, is a picture of God’s gracious heart.21 Obviously the younger son was in rebellion, and his father must have rightfully asked, “Why, my son?”
The son just said, “Just give me my share.” So his father gave it to him, and the son walked away.
It’s my conviction that it took a greater love for the father to let his son go than to hold him back. Love gives freedom. Love allows people the room to make choices.
The lord's Servant Must Not Strive
In the past, I struggled with people, trying to make them understand, to make them change. I pleaded with them and cried for them. I prayed with them and for them. I used to live with such frustration, agony and even anger. I would say, “When will they ever learn? When will they understand?”
Then one day the Lord spoke to my heart, “My servant should not strive. Don’t fight. Let it be. I called you to speak on My behalf. Invite people to respond. You are not the authority. I am the One in control. Just be My servant.”
You can’t imagine the peace that filled my heart when I finally gave up trying to change anyone.
There will be times of rebellion, even slander and insubordination, from those we oversee. These are not easy times, but our response is ever so critical. God is watching how we handle it.
Moses faced a great deal of opposition from the people he led, yet he did not fight for their respect or his position.22 In fact, he would go to God on their behalf, begging Him not to kill them.23We need to learn from his example.
Those in authority should never fight for themselves. We need to simply leave it to the Lord to defend us. He will do a much better job in His time and His way than we ever could. In fact, when a leader fights to establish his authority, he actually loses his ability to lead.24
When the Corinthians attacked Paul, he didn’t fight back. Rather, with love and kindness, he exhorted them as a loving father would. His care for them comes through so clearly in the book of 2 Corinthians.25 This is the way of peace that the Lord wants us to walk in as leaders. Paul told Timothy, “And the servant of the Lord must not strive” (2 Timothy 2:24, Kjv). This truth has set me free more times than I can say. May it also set you free—free to let God be God and simply to follow Him.
Do Not Misuse Authority
Authority and responsibility should never be a license to do what we want. When we do so, we misrepresent God and misuse our authority.
For 30 long years, Moses led the children of Israel. How he suffered in this role. He had to put up with a great deal of complaining. How often he must have prayed and cried out for these multitudes. He paid a heavy price to lead these obstinate people. God called him the meekest man on earth.26 He also said of Moses, “To others I speak in visions and dreams and riddles, but to Moses I speak face to face” (Numbers 12:6-8, paraphrased).
For three decades Moses suffered and loved and had patience with these people. But finally, he was tired of it all, and he got upset. God said, “Moses, just speak to the rock. Water will come out.”27 But out of frustration and anger, instead of just speaking— he struck the rock.
In doing this, he misrepresented the Lord before the people. And Moses, the delegated authority, was punished severely for his actions.
We can wonder, “Didn’t God see what these people did to Moses? What rebellion! What ungodliness! Couldn’t He have taken that into consideration?” While He was angry with Moses,
God never said a word against the congregation in this case. But to Moses, the delegated authority, He took him aside and said, “You cannot enter the Promised Land.”28
When God places us in a position of authority and we violate our responsibility, becoming careless and representing God in a way we should not—He may quickly forgive a million people of their complaining, but His delegated authority He holds accountable and reprimands severely. There are serious consequences for misusing authority.
how Then Shall we be?
In the battle with the Amalekites, King Saul chose to fear the people more than he feared the Lord. At the end of the conversation with Samuel, Saul said, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me” (1 Samuel 15:30, NIV). As leaders, we have a natural tendency to want to appear competent before others. There is a fear that if they don’t respect us, if they see our faults, they will not follow us. But the Word of God tells us that before honor is humility. Saul tried to take an easier way for the flesh. He chose honor first instead of humility, and he lost everything.
A godly leader is one who is more concerned about following the Lord’s direction than catering to what the people might think. Matthew 23:11-12 (nasb) says, “But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” If, like Saul, we try to honor ourselves, we will be humbled. But if we choose the way of humility, in time we will be exalted and honored.
This heart of submission represents the fruit of all the traits of a godly leader. You would do well to take time to think about this.
I have had my own struggles in this area. My board made a decision at one point that they wanted to increase my salary. It was an expression of their love and kindness. They said, “We have decided that this is how much you should now receive.” But my wife and I were happy with what we were already getting. God blessed our children, and they are healthy. What else could we want? We have a nice house, and I have the best car in the whole universe, a 1962 Volkswagen Bug. It’s 46 years old, but it runs like a top. I was happy.
I told the people at the office, “When you make out my allowance, just give me the same amount I always take. I don’t want any more.” And the people in our finance office followed my instructions.
With another board meeting coming up later, our business manager said to me, “May I tell you something? If you do not listen to these men to whom you are accountable and do not take the money they told you to take, how can they believe that you will listen to them in other matters? What will they think when they find out you are not accepting the raise they told you to take?”
These godly board members wanted to bless me, but I just wanted my needs met. For the first time it dawned on me that these people I was accountable to had made a decision, and by not taking the money, I was in rebellion. I was overcome with fear.
During the next board meeting I told the board, “I need to ask you for forgiveness for something I have done. I have violated the authority God placed over me. I hope you will have mercy toward me and be willing to forgive me for having done wrong.” And there was dead silence because they had no idea what I was going to say.
I continued, “You decided that I should take this amount of money. But my wife and I, we have no need for it. We just want to meet our needs, and so I didn’t take it. I recognize now that I was not submitting to the authority God placed in my life.” By this point I was crying. I said, “I just want you to forgive me. I don’t know what else I can tell you.”
One of the senior board members said, “Well, when we made that decision, we gave you the permission to take it or not. So we release you.” It was like a wonderful cool shower in the summertime when I heard that. Then everybody said of my decision, “That is fine.”
For me, this experience came down to the questions: Do I, as a leader, submit to the authority God has placed in my life? and Do I take such opportunities given to me to submit? I am learning too.
In the end, we find that God’s view of a leader is quite different from what we may think on the surface. Roy Lessin’s poem “A Godly Leader” puts it well:
A Godly leader . . .
finds strength by realizing his weakness, finds authority by being under authority, finds direction by laying down his own plans, finds vision by seeing the needs of others, finds credibility by being an example, finds loyalty by expressing compassion, finds honor by being faithful, finds greatness by being a servant.29
As we look at what the Lord expects from us as leaders, I’m sure we all fall short. I know I do. But I’m grateful for the lessons I am learning and the deep responsibility I feel for the beautiful people God has placed under my authority. Don’t be discouraged. There’s a season to sow and a season to reap. As you receive the Word of God, it will bring forth fruit that will glorify Him and bless your life.
Lord, thank You for Your mercy. How fragile and weak we are. We seem to continually fall under deception—our Enemy is active and alive. We pray that You will help us become a peculiar people that will follow You all the days of our lives—humble, simple,
broken, unassuming disciples of the Lamb of God. Dear Lord, this is Your kingdom. Grant us understanding, we pray. Amen.