OCTOBER 2021
Authority and Power
Authority is 'the power or right to give orders by a person or organisation, make decisions, and enforce obedience'. Authority is a formal title or position that gives someone the tools to influence other people within their organisation.
Power is 'the ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way and thereby direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events. Power is not hierarchical and can flow in any direction of a relationship. Power, compared to authority, is an informal method of influence. A person or organisation does not need to have any formal status within a hierarchy to become powerful.
There is the general tendency to interchange the two words – 'authority' and 'power' – which is why it is beneficial to pick apart their subtle differences as we have done.
Jesus modelled Spiritual authority and power beautifully and we can be most effective in God's Kingdom if we learn what the Bible teaches about these attributes. In (Matthew 28:18) Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me", which means Jesus' lived with the active knowledge that all spiritual authority comes from God our Father. There is no authority higher than God. Jesus shows us how submission to authority is part of the culture of the Kingdom of God. To move in authority, we must be under authority.
As brothers and sisters in Christ, we come under Jesus' spiritual authority. John 1:1–4 reads that "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men". Jesus was, always has been and always will be God! It is therefore important that for us to effectively carry out the Ministry of Jesus Christ, we must come under the authority of God the Son and God the Father.
Let us also remember that all spiritual authority belongs to God and in His infinite wisdom, He chose to model delegation. God the Father placed authority in the hands of human beings and appointed people into positions of authority as in Luke 10:19 – I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you". Again in Luke 9:1, Jesus also gave His twelve disciples power and authority over all the demons, and to heal the sick. You and I will always have a role to play in the vision and destiny God has for His Kingdom.
In our individual lives, we all have some elements of power even if we think we don't have authority. Anyone with responsibility has powers. Even those without responsibilities and zero authority can also have influencing power. For those in positions of authority, i.e. at the top of their profession or institution, to avoid being overly stressed you need to embrace the principle of delegation and work seamlessly with your supporting team. Otherwise, the fundamentals you require for decision making can be flawed and therefore result in you taking bad decisions.
As Christians we know that at the end of it all the most ultimate authority is The Almighty, as there are things beyond man, and we have a God with whom nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37). Jesus is the ultimate leader and He showed us that the best leadership attitude is the 'Servant Leader'. Christ-like and Christ-led servant leaders are motivated by love to serve others, they possess a security that allows them to serve others, inspire servant leadership in others, receive ministry from others, teach servanthood by their example and live a blessed life, all the while allowing nothing to hinder their with God.
When leaders serve, they add value to the people who receive their service. This value might be as simple as feeling worthwhile or special. A good habit for a leader is to try to add value to everyone he or she meets; try to add something to their lives, rather than take away. Seek to replenish and resource them to live the higher life God has called them to. This is what Jesus did, day in and day out. He served.
My prayer for you is that your whole life proves the goodness and power of living under the authority of God. May He be at work in you and through you as you become a servant leader.
God bless you all,
Femi Bajomo
