{"id":6918,"date":"2019-07-11T10:03:25","date_gmt":"2019-07-11T15:03:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedisciplemaker.org\/?p=6918"},"modified":"2019-07-11T10:03:25","modified_gmt":"2019-07-11T15:03:25","slug":"effective-use-of-authority-in-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.navpress.com\/sites\/thedisciplemaker\/2019\/07\/effective-use-of-authority-in-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"Effective Use of Authority in Leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"
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All power and authority find their source in the relational dynamic of leader and follower. Note what the devil offers Jesus in the second desert temptation: \u201cThe devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, \u201cI will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to\u201d (Luke 4:5-7). Jesus would have to first acknowledge the devil\u2019s leadership, then be given worldly power. Jesus did not refute the devil\u2019s ability to give it. \u00a0The devil has authority, but it is limited under the ultimate authority of Christ who has \u201call authority in heaven and on earth\u201d (Matthew 28:18).<\/p>\n

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This post is from the NavPress book, <\/em>Growing Kingdom Wisdom<\/a><\/u> by Tom Yeakley<\/a><\/u>, who has been serving in leadership roles at the national level for The Navigators for many years. Tom’s heart is to mentor young leaders with godly wisdom.<\/em>
\nPlease consider purchasing <\/em>Growing Kingdom Wisdom.<\/a><\/u> on navpress.com<\/a><\/em> Code: WISDOMGOGO during 8\/31\/19 \u2013 9\/10\/19. For each book purchased, the Navigator 20s ministry<\/a><\/u>\u00a0will receive a copy to mentor a young leader.<\/strong> We are grateful for your partnership with The Navigators.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Contrasted with worldly power founded on a leader-follower relationship is the power that comes from the Lord\u2014an anointing of His Spirit that is given to accomplish His purposes in and through us. Through the blood of Christ and because of His atonement, believers now have power over sin, demons, and our ultimate enemy, death. God\u2019s servant leaders are given authority to lead and influence others and are called to steward that influence well. Spiritual leaders will all give an account to Him of how they use this authority and influence (see Hebrews 13:17).<\/p>\n

Kingdom Leaders are Under the Authority of God<\/h4>\n

With positional leadership comes a certain amount of authority to set direction, distribute resources, and solve missional challenges. It is a privilege and a sobering responsibility to have positional authority. But positional authority is limited by one\u2019s rank or title. Kingdom leaders do not have carte blanche to rule by fiat! They, too, are leaders under authority.
\nIf you polled emerging leaders from the Millennial generation and ask them how they perceive the subject of authority, their response is overwhelmingly negative. In fact, in a recent meeting, one young person said, \u201cI\u2019m trying to learn how to lead without using authority.\u201d Well, good luck with that one!
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\nThis person\u2019s intent was to use authority in an unoppressive or unharmful way. In that person\u2019s experience, all those in authority had either greatly disappointed or taken advantage of them. Parents had divorced each other, trusted family members had abused them, and teachers or religious leaders had used their position for their own ends. In this case, it is understandable why power and authority are viewed with such a negative perspective.<\/p>\n

Leading by Personal Authority<\/h4>\n

But there is a second type of authority and power that has far greater ability to influence people\u2014personal authority. For Kingdom leaders, personal authority is built as trust grows between the leader and those being led. It arises from the leader\u2019s growing intimacy with God. That relationship is recognized by others, and they willingly give the leader power to influence them, trusting that God is speaking to and guiding the leader. This voluntary submission to another\u2019s influence allows a leader to speak to heart issues, character issues, and areas that are outside of the mission or task. A wise leader will not assume this authority but will always ask permission to speak into these areas before addressing them.
\nLeaders can grow in their ability to influence others as they gain more experience. You\u2019ve seen this before and know what to expect, and therefore your confidence regarding how to handle this situation breeds confidence in others.<\/p>\n

Power and Competency<\/h4>\n

Power and influence can be gained through increased competency. A trained, skilled leader will find that others willingly follow them because they believe they are being led by someone who knows what to do. For Kingdom leaders, in addition to growing in leadership skills, a growing competency in applying the Bible to life and leadership adds to their personal authority (see 2\u00a0Timothy 2:15).
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\nWe must also acknowledge that certain personalities seem to influence others more naturally. Those who are more extroverted in their personality type, more people oriented, would have more of a penchant for influencing the tone and culture of a larger group. This natural ability to influence is enhanced through spiritual gifting and the Spirit\u2019s empowerment. But does God only use extroverts to lead on a larger scale? While introverts can be good at gaining trust and building loyalty with individuals, can God use introverts to lead broadly? After all, they are 50 percent of the human race!<\/p>\n

More Power<\/h4>\n

Some years ago, I read a biography of D.\u00a0L. Moody. The book related an incident in Moody\u2019s life where he did not sense God\u2019s power when he preached. He desired to see God use him in greater ways to influence people through his public ministry of the Word. Moody began to pray for greater power when he preached God\u2019s Word. He asked God for a special anointing to move the hearts of people as he proclaimed the gospel to the lost. God answered Moody\u2019s prayer, resulting in a much greater response to his public ministry.[i]<\/a>
\nAs I\u2019ve followed Moody\u2019s example, that passage has become a personal promise for my own public ministry of God\u2019s Word. Because my God-given temperament is more of an introvert, I find comfort in people like Saul, who were hesitant to assume the role of leader. Saul was probably introverted (or at least shy); he was hiding when the selection council met at Mizpah to choose their first king (1\u00a0Samuel 10:17-24).
\nI began to pray over 1\u00a0Samuel 10:6 regularly before I spoke, saying something like this:
\nLord, just as you promised through Samuel to Saul that your Spirit would enable him to proclaim your truth with power and change him into a different person, I\u2019m asking that you do that for me. May these people hear you speaking through me as you make me into your spokesman. May my words be empowered by you to touch their hearts as well as their heads. And may lasting change come about because of this speaking opportunity.
\nThis prayer pattern has become my habit every time I have the privilege to stand before people and share His Word. And I, too, sense, like Moody, that it has truly made a difference in my public ministry.
\nWise leaders know that they exercise power and that this power can build up or tear down. It can be used for blessing or damaging others. And they are aware that they will one day be held accountable to God for the use of their leadership power. Thus, they are circumspect in its use and loving in its exercise.<\/p>\n

Apply to Your Leadership<\/h3>\n

Read the following passages independently or with a group. Observe the wise use of power and apply to your life and leadership.<\/p>\n