Nov
14
The Wisdom of Power
November 14, 2007 |
Are we the head of a company, department, division, team or organization?
Do we have a leadership position in a company, nonprofit agency or governmental body?
Are we a coach or team captain?
Are we the head of our household, our family?
Then we need to read the Mass reading from today from Wisdom 6: 1-11 and take it to heart because God is speaking to us.
Hear, O kings, and understand; learn, you magistrates of the earth’s expanse! Hearken, you who are in power over the multitude and lord it over throngs of peoples! Because authority was given you by the Lord and sovereignty by the Most High, who shall probe your works and scrutinize your counsels.
How many of us recognize that any authority we have comes from God - And that he is watching us in what we do with that authority?
Because, though you were ministers of his kingdom, you judged not rightly, and did not keep the law, nor walk according to the will of God, Terribly and swiftly shall he come against you, because judgment is stern for the exalted–For the lowly may be pardoned out of mercy but the mighty shall be mightily put to the test.
How many of us leaders try to do God’s will in all things? How many of us realize that we have to answer to God - he is the boss over us all?
For the Lord of all shows no partiality, nor does he fear greatness, Because he himself made the great as well as the small, and he provides for all alike; but for those in power a rigorous scrutiny impends. To you, therefore, O princes, are my words addressed that you may learn wisdom and that you may not sin.
How often do we strike our breast and proclaim how great we are because of the position of influence and authority we may hold?
It doesn’t matter how much power we have - if we have any power whatsoever, we need to recognize that this authority comes from God and needs to be exercised for the good of others - not ourselves.
When we make leadership decisions, we need to realize that people’s lives will be impacted by what we decide. So we better be right and making the decisions for all of the right reasons.
But how many of us flaunt our power and use it for our own benefit? How many of us believe that power is an end in itself and not a means to do the Lord’s work?
We should seek to get into positions where we can do the most good. But we must acknowledge that we are in these positions because God wants us there. If we forget this simple fact, we will find ourselves having to answer to God for the misuse of the grace that he has given us.
Look at every leader who has failed or fallen, and I guarantee you that they lost sight of who gave them their power and why it was given to them. Look at every leader that is respected and we will see people who are walking with Christ and using their authority according to God’s plan and for the benefit of others.
We need to decide what kind of leader we want to be - how we want to exercise the authority we have been given - especially when it comes to our family. And when we decide, we better be certain we are doing what the heavenly boss wants us to do.
