Transcript
Healthy Authority
Unlocked
Briefly discuss your
‘authority’ experiences (good
or bad) and try to see what
impact they have had on your view of authority figures
Being hurt by authority figures can
result in inner vows being made:
• ‘I wont come under authority again’
• ‘I wont be controlled by authority again’
• ‘I wont trust authority again’
These vows may give the
feeling of protection but in
essence they cut you off
from the blessing that
honouring authority brings
He who gives honor to a prophet,
in the name of a prophet, will be
given a prophet's reward; and he
who gives honor to an upright
man, in the name of an upright
man, will be given an upright
man's reward.
Matthew 10 v 41
Children, obey your parents in the
Lord, for this is right. “Honor your
father and mother” - which is the
first commandment with a
promise - “so that it may go well
with you and that you may enjoy
long life on the earth.”
Ephesians 6 v 1-3
Fathers, do not exasperate your
children; instead, bring them up in the
training and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6 v 4
Key phrase for the unhealthy authority
figure:
‘I have to be in control’
Key phrase for the healthy authority figure:
‘I have been put in charge’
UNHEALTHY
AUTHORITY
HEALTHY
AUTHORITY
1. Controls through fear
and manipulation
1. Creates a culture of
order and empowerment
2. Provides no safety or
protection
2. Provides safety and
protection
3. Discourages and
shames
3. Encourages, forgives
and strengthens
4. Refuses to pass on
skills or information
4. Informs and equips
5. Order comes through
external control, not
self-control
5. Order comes through
honour, trust and
self-control
UNHEALTHY
AUTHORITY
HEALTHY
AUTHORITY
1. Controls through fear
and manipulation
1. Creates a culture of
empowerment
and order
• Punishments given for
disobedience or mistakes
• Made to feel responsible
for the authority figure’s
results or feelings
• Trust is established
• Unconditional
acceptance provided
• Thoughtful correction
given when needed
UNHEALTHY
AUTHORITY
HEALTHY
AUTHORITY
2. Provides no safety
or protection
2. Provides safety
and protection
• Fear of abandonment
• Fear of punishment
• Unpredictable responses
• Don’t feel valued
• No fear of abandonment
• No fear of punishment
• Secure in expected
responses
• Feel valued
UNHEALTHY
AUTHORITY
HEALTHY
AUTHORITY
3. Discourages
and shames
3. Encourages, forgives
and strengthens
• Uses insulting language
• Shares ‘failings’ with
others
• People end up lying or
hiding to cover up
mistakes
• Brings consistent
affirmation
• Quick to forgive
• Wont bring out the ‘list of
failures’
• People able to be honest
about mistakes
UNHEALTHY
AUTHORITY
HEALTHY
AUTHORITY
4. Refuses to pass on
skills or information
4. Informs and equips
• Is insecure
• Wants to stay ‘top dog’
• Secure in themselves
• Delighted when
subordinates ‘go further’
UNHEALTHY
AUTHORITY
HEALTHY
AUTHORITY
5. Order comes through
external control, not
self-control
5. Order comes through
honour, trust and
self-control
• Compliance under the
‘watchful eye’
• Rebellious and unhealthy
‘independent attitude’
• Refuse to listen or be
taught
• No sense of
corporate/family
responsibility
• Even in disagreement
there is honour
• Self management is
learned practised
• Happy to ask and be
taught
• Values corporate/family
responsibility
ABDICATION OF AUTHORITY
Thinks freedom means ‘no boundaries’
and therefore doesn’t provide safe or
secure environment
Doesn’t bring correction in a consistent manner
Peace and order come through the
‘path of least resistance’
Has a higher value for ‘peace and harmony’ than
healthy confrontation or discussion of issues
‘Mis-use’ should not result in ‘no
use’ but in exercising ‘proper use’
in other words…
Experiencing unhealthy authority
should not result in the abdication
of authority but in the exercise of
healthy authority
Questions to ask:
1. What is my authority style?
Healthy, unhealthy, abdicating or a mix?
2. What are the specific strengths I have in my
authority role?
e.g. I am a good mentor, I am a great encourager, I
always deal with things head on, etc…
3. How can I build on these strengths?
Think of at least 5 things that you could do
4. What are my weaknesses as an authority figure?
Do I try to control too much, am I too harsh with my
tongue, am I afraid to give people a voice, do I avoid
confrontation, am I unclear in my requests from
people…?
5. What can I do to address these weaknesses?
Think of at least 5 things you can do
6. What would it feel like to be in subordinate’s
shoes? ( or team/family member/etc.)
Your view of God will
ultimately affect what kind of
authority figure you become
When we look at Jesus we see
‘God with skin on’
• For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in
bodily form Col 2 v 9
• The Son is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn over all creation Col 1 v 15
• The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the
exact representation of his being Heb 1 v 3
Jesus – the best authority figure!
• He established trust Dining with Matthew the Tax Collector (Matthew 9)
Rescuing Peter whilst walking on the water (Matthew 14)
Demonstrated he was ‘a safe place’
• He empowered Equipping, instructing, warning, reassuring (Matthew 10)
• He modelled love and forgiveness Example of restoring Peter after his denial (John 21)
• He was a ‘Legacy Thinker’ He poured out his life into his disciples and his prayer in
John 17 exemplifies his heart for them and ultimately for us
‘I have made you known to them, and will continue
to make you known in order that the love you
have for me may be in them and that I myself
may be in them.” John 17 v 26
That same love that the father had for Jesus is
imparted into us, as we get a revelation of ‘knowing
the father’
Question: How can I love like Jesus loved?
Answer: ‘Know the Father’
Question: But how can I know the Father?
Answer: ‘Jesus makes him known to you’
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