ted4leaders

Greetings;

Our measure of rule will change, but that change is the result of being faithful with what is given to us today. Being faithful doesn’t mean that we grasp to get more than we have. It means that we do more than expected with what we are responsible for. We recognize that what has been given to us doesn’t belong to us. It was given to us for the benefit of others. When we seek to expand what has been given us for the sake of giving life to others, we will see the measure of our influence expand. All authority comes from authority and what we are responsible for represents the life that has been given to us from our Father in heaven.

Matthew 25:14-30  “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ “He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ‘And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. Therefore you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. ‘And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

When we embrace our God-given responsibilities today we will be blessed in our efforts. Those efforts will bring life to others and we will see our sphere of influence expanded by God. God will expand the boundaries of our influence in the future as the result of our faithfulness today. The testimony of our faithfulness in what has been given to us will be seen in how the lives of others are affected because of who we are and what we did.

Mark 4:25 “For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

I have found this principle to be true in my own life. I never asked to be a worship leader or a worship director. I never asked to be a youth leader or a church administrator. I never asked to go fulltime in ministry. I never asked to be the senior leader of a church. I never asked to be a minister to the nations. I never asked to be an author. I never asked to be who I am today, but all these things I have done by embracing what was in front of me each day. Again, calling is what we are not yet, inheritance is what we are today, and the power of our lives is revealed in what things look like behind us. We must be constantly willing to embrace things that stretch us from the place that we are, we must be willing to be who we are today with our whole hearts, and we must live to see the fruit of our efforts manifested in the lives of others who follow behind our lives.

If we don’t whole heatedly accept our responsibilities today, we will decease in our influence tomorrow. We must be confident in accepting our responsibilities for the sake of others. We can never see what has been given us as our own. It is something given to us for the sake of others. Authority gives life. It is not a matter of power or control. It is a matter of faithfulness in bringing life to the world.  Our breakthrough is not tomorrow. It is today. When things don’t seem to be working the way we think they should, we must be faithful in the ways they are working out. Our answers are not found in our coming days, they are found in the days of our faithfulness. Wisdom is found in the gates (Pr. 1:21). It is found in the places of influence. Places of influence are found by being faithful in the things that have been given to us and being willing to stretch to the limits of our sphere of influence. A spider or a lizard is a very small creature, but each are faithful with what is in front of them and they find themselves in king’s palaces (Pr. 30:28). Each of these creatures embrace the world in a way that defies their size and even what would appear to be their abilities, but by embracing what is within their touch they find themselves in places that other creatures can only dream of going.

We must have a mentality of being very rich in the areas given to us by God. Very rich people don’t look for the answers found in lottery tickets. They became very rich by taking what they had and making the most of it. They aren’t afraid to stretch the boundaries in the areas of their own responsibilities, but they don’t look for their sources in resources that are not within their reach. This is the secret to expanding the boundaries of our spheres of influence in life. We should desire more life for the sake of giving more life to others. This is the faithfulness of authority.

Food For Thought,

Ted J. Hanson

Greetings,

Authority is always given in a measure. No one has complete authority, because authority is relational and is therefore connected to the authority of others. We must each know the measure of authority given to us by God. That measure of authority is the sphere of influence given to you by God, a sphere of influence for the sake of giving life to others. That sphere is often a growing and changing one, but it only grows as authority is given and received. It is never a sphere that expands through the taking of power. The apostle Paul wrote concerning the responsibilities of his own sphere and the authority there.

2 Corinthians. 10:13-18 We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us–a sphere which especially includes you. For we are not extending ourselves beyond our sphere (thus not reaching you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere,  to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s sphere of accomplishment. But “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

We each have the ability to give life to those within the measure of authority given to us by God. If we cross a boundary line of our authority into the arena of another’s measure of rule, we will produce death. Being the pastor of a church doesn’t make you the pastor of everyone else’s church. If a pastor seeks to function as a pastor with pastoral thoughts, attitudes, perceptions, judgments, and actions outside of their measure of rule, the result will be dysfunction and death. Authority only lies within the boundaries of an individual’s specific responsibilities. If you are not responsible, you don’t have any authority. A pastor is responsible to care for the sheep given to him by God, but not for those of another fold.

I have a prophetic anointing upon my life. Within the measure of my God-given authority, there may be times when I give directional and even correcting words to those within my sphere of influence. If I attend a small group of another church in my community, my prophetic authority is not one of direction or correction. It may not even be one of giving prophetic words. It depends upon the liberty that is given to me by those who have the authority of the home group. My authority in the group is that of being a participant like anyone else, unless those in authority give the authority to me. Many people think that because they have an anointing they have an authority. Anointing without authority is simply power and it will often promote personal pride. It will definitely collide with true authority and will produce some form of trouble. As I have written earlier, David had the anointing of a king, but he had to first be faithful as a shepherd of a few sheep.

The leaders in a congregation have authority in the areas of their leadership responsibilities. They don’t have authority where another’s authority begins. They can be heads of ministry departments, but they are not heads of individual families. They are not fathers and mothers to the children of other families; they simply represent fathers and mothers in the corporate context of ministry. They are responsible to set an example for families in the community to follow, but they are not carry the authority to make decisions in individual homes. They are husbands to their own wife or wives to their own husband, but not to others in the congregation. They are parents to their own children, but mere examples of parents to the associate families in the church community.

Leaders have a God-given authority to speak into the lives of their congregation, but that does not mean they have authority to decide what people do in their businesses, their families, their homes, or in any area they are personally responsible.  In the corporate setting the door to the sheep is the shepherd. The shepherd can be defined as the head or the accountable one. This is also true for the individual. Every individual person holds the door to their own hearts. Everyone has unique things that they are responsible for and no one else can rob them of that responsibility.

Jn. 10:1 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.”

If we fail to enter through the door we are a thief and what we do will not result in life.

Jn. 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

We must not cross over into those areas that are the responsibility of another. There will be many times when people will put pressure upon a leader to cross a boundary line of authority. All decisions in life belong to those responsible for the decision. No person can make a decision for others this is beyond their measure of rule. We must avoid being forced into a role that is not legitimately ours.

We must not extend our influence beyond that which God has given us. If we do, spiritual forces can be activated that will influence true authority in a negative way. If we go beyond our sphere of influence we grasp for power and the result will be some form of dysfunction and death. Every one of us needs to know where our authority stops and another’s begins. Authority is a matter of relationship, not power.

Our authority lies in the areas of our responsibility. Whatever we are personally responsible for today is our authority today. We may be called to be something more, but calling is what we are not yet and authority is based upon who we are. Our authority is not in what we used to do or be nor is it in what we are yet to do or be. It is relevant to today.

Food For Thought,

Ted J. Hanson

Greetings,

The secret to releasing life-giving authority is within the heart of the person in authority. When we seek to give life to others through our areas of responsibility we release freedom and blessing. When we seek to get our identity from what we do we can become confused and we can get caught in the trap of controlling others. Rather then seeking to make them more because of who we are, we limit others through controlling forces. The line between life-giving authority and destructive forces that come from a grasping for power is within the heart of the person in authority. When a leader’s heart is to bring life to others, the testimony of their leadership will be life to others. Like the fruit of a tree, the evidence of their authority will be life-energy to those they lead. When a leader seeks to lord over others, their grasping for power will injure those they seek to lead in the same way that thorns on a thorn bush injure those who come in contact with them. Lording over others only causes offense and abuse of the flesh.

Matthew 7:15-18 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.”

If a leader has the mentality of a king he may see his followers as ‘subjects’, existing for his own purposes. Rather then seeking to expand the life of others, a lording leader will produce death in the lives of those they lead. A godly leader sees his role as existing for the good of those they lead. They will seek to lead in a way that causes those within their measure of responsibility to become all they are meant to be and to fulfill the purposes of God in their lives. Godly leaders view themselves as servants of others in fulfilling their God-given purpose of activating, facilitating, and releasing others to their full purpose and destiny.

Mark 9:35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

True authority is always an attribute of giving life to others. Power alone feeds on the life of others for the sake of being powerful. Those who merely seek power will see those they lead as mere resources to fulfill their own agenda and purpose. Like savage wolves, they feed on the lives of others in order to maintain their position of power and control. The apostle Paul warned that savage wolves would come into the flock of God. These are individuals who seek to take life from others for their own agendas of power and control.

Acts 20:29, 30 “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”

A mindset of lording over others will open the door to oppression and destructive controlling forces. God doe’s not intend for us to make a name for ourselves.

All authority is from God; therefore all authority serves the greater purpose of God. Having authority doesn’t authorize someone to build his own kingdom. It makes them responsible in God’s kingdom.

Genesis 11:4-8  And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.

When we seek to build a name for ourselves we become self-seeking in our motivation. There is no place for self-seeking motivations in the life of a leader. Authority always serves authority and all authority comes from God. The purpose of all authority is to seek and serve the will of God in the realm of their responsibility. In order to exercise the wisdom of God-given authority a leader must be willing to yield in their own understanding in their pursuit of the will of God in their task of leading.

James 3:13-18 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing will be there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Control and manipulation are the result of someone exercising authority outside of that which God has given them.  Control and manipulation will result from a violation and crossing over into someone else’s authority.  We must stay within the boundaries of the authority God has given us.  A leader must know when and where God has given them authority. Leaders must respect the other lines of authority. In respecting the lines of authority of others, leaders must see their responsibility of authority as one of serving and not lording over others.

Food For Thought,

Ted J. Hanson

Greetings,

It is impossible to do anything significant apart from authority. Authority is manifested through headship and is expressed in places such as government, society, business, the church, the family, and the individual. Headship does not mean the control of another. It simply means that you are a seizing point for supplying authority to another. It means you are responsible first for the sake of every member relationally joined to your sphere of influence.

Authority is the life conduit of true submission. Submission is a meaningless word apart from authority. Authority comes from a life source and it is a life source to others. Submission to authority is like plugging in an electrical cord to a wall socket. The authority of electricity within the wall socket can only become effective to electrical devices by the means of a power cord. That power cord is the line of submission to the wall socket. Metaphorically speaking, the power cord must seek out the wall socket and the wall socket must willingly release its power to the power cord through their relational connection. When this connection is made both the wall socket and the electrical device fulfill their purpose. The wall socket can supply electricity to the electrical device, but the electrical device cannot supply power to the wall socket. The electrical device can do the work of a tool, but the wall socket can only supply the power for that tool to operate.

There are various levels and lines of authority. People get into trouble when they cross the authority lines given to them by God. Leaders have authority, but they must never violate the authority God has established within the family or the individual. When a pastor of a church seeks to become the head of the households within the church they cross a boundary line of authority and it becomes a grasping for power that produces some measure of death in the life of those they seek to lead. It will for sure create a measure of dysfunction in their relationship. If a leader robs any individual from the being responsible with his or her own God-given sphere of authority, that leader violates a boundary line of authority. The result will be some measure of dysfunction and death. The voice of the Holy Spirit to the heart of any individual is the highest authority of all. Human conscience is also a level of authority. When a delegated authority violates the authority of the Holy Spirit or even conscience, they damage their own level of delegated authority.

In a family each family member must allow each individual member to make decisions for his or her own personal life. This is not just to allow, but also to require them to make their own decisions. Anything else is not New Covenant. When any one person or entity crosses their line of authority, then God’s authority and power no longer back them. If a husband seeks to control his wife, he violates his responsibility as her husband. He is not her father. He is not her teacher. He is her partner in fulfilling God’s purpose and will in their lives as a family. As the head of the home he is the first to set the example of life in the home. If family headship dictates to a member of the family what they are to do, in violation of the individual’s free will, then they are controlling and dominating in an evil manner. Direction is an expression of authority, lording over others is an illegitimate expression of control. Small children require more direction than teenagers, unless the teenager didn’t receive life-giving direction as a child. Then they exercise their free will in a manner that violates the authority of Holy Spirit and of conscience. These are two levels of authority that are higher than delegated authority.

If a church leader starts demanding that families or individuals do things that should be decided only by them, that church leader’s authority is being abused and God is not behind it. This doesn’t mean that there cannot be commands. Commands are not necessarily control. When commands are given within the boundaries of a God-given authority, they carry a substance of life. Those commands must be given in the spirit of life and not in a spirit of control. They are meant to give life to others, not control them. This is the way of authority. Authority gives life; it never takes from another. Even commands that bring correction to others are meant to be commands of authority that empower them to walk in life.

Titus 2:15  Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

2 Thessalonians 3:4 And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you.

2 Thessalonians 3:6 But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.

2 Thessalonians 3:11, 12  For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.

1 Timothy 4:11, 12 These things command and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

1 Timothy 5:7 And these things command, that they may be blameless  (rules for widows).

1 Timothy 6:17-19 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Philemon 1:8-12 Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you–being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ– I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me. I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart…

Paul’s objective in these verses was to present the responsibly of walking in authority for the sake of others. This authority was not a means of having control over others, but a responsibility of caring for those within their God-given sphere of influence. That care was to assist them in becoming as God had called them to be for His purpose and will in their lives.

When someone crosses the boundary of his or her own God-given authority the result is less than life giving. There can even be spiritual forces of dysfunction unleashed when boundary lines of authority are violated. When authority is violated it has spiritual, emotional, and even physical consequences. When authority is properly applied with a spirit of life there are spiritual, emotional, and physical blessings.

Food For Thought,

Ted J. Hanson

Greetings,

Leadership is God’s idea. Leadership is not about the control or the manipulation of others. True leadership brings others to their highest potential in life. When leaders lead, others become what they could not be before. Leadership is an expression of authority and authority never takes from others. It gives life to them. Destructive applications of authority in leadership cannot cause us to shy away from accepting the responsibility of leading others. The abuse of leadership cannot cause us to reject a leadership role. Leadership is a gift given by God to take others to places they have not gone before.

As leaders, we must be secure in leading. If we are insecure in our leadership role we will not dare lead those we are responsible to lead. Leaders are an example in leading others, so they must be secure in that responsibility for the sake of others. Paul exhorted Timothy, a young leader responsible for thousands, to be secure in his role of leadership. His leadership role would be one of example to others, not that of controlling their lives.

1 Timothy 4:12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Paul also instructed his spiritual son Titus to exercise his leadership responsibilities with all authority. This even included the responsibility to rebuke if necessary. Again, the role of Titus was one of example and encouragement to those who followed his leadership. We cannot charge others to be subject to authority if we are not subject to authority ourselves. We cannot direct others to obey, do good works, or exhibit right attitudes towards others if we do not do the same as leaders.

Titus 2:15; 3:1, 2  Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you. Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.

Leaders must accept their responsibility to lead others with an attitude of confidence. They must accept the anointing to lead as God gives it to them. Members of a congregation will sometimes challenge a leader in their role of leading. If the congregation member presents themselves as more confident than the leader it will affect the flow of life that comes from that leader. A leader can never allow him or herself to be intimidated by a congregation member. They must simply lead in faith as God directs their actions and they must do this with complete confidence. If they will do this it will create a clear atmosphere of God-given vision for the whole congregation. When leaders remain in faith with complete confidence in their role as a leader, challenging members of a congregation will either become transformed or they will seek to find some other place to go where they can manipulate insecure leaders.

My own journey as a leader began as a faithful follower. I was a worship leader of various sorts for fifteen years. In that process I became a worship director and rose up other worship leaders to do as I had done. Following my years of leading in worship I was appointed to be a youth leader and remained in that role until I transitioned that responsibility to others. I was a full-time administrator for the church until I was appointed to be an associate pastor. One day I found myself in the role of a senior pastor. In all of these things I did not promote myself or seek to be the one who was responsible. I was simply responsible wherever I found myself and I was asked by God and man to step into each role on the journey. My goal was never to be a leader, but to help others become who they were called to be. My journey was one of promotion by God while living among my brothers and sisters in Christ. I was not educated to fulfill the roles of my appointments, but had to seek my needed education and skills in the midst of them. Because God promoted me among my peers, I often faced issues of familiarity with those God appointed me to lead. I had to accept my role of leadership and I had to stand in confidence within my God-given responsibility in the face of people who thought that they were perhaps more qualified to lead than me. There have been times when I have had to stand in confidence with God’s direction for others, as He has instructed me to lead. There are times when leaders have to make decisions for the corporate purpose of those they lead and they cannot allow familiarity with those they lead to become a hindrance to their confidence in leading.

Leaders will always face challenges in their task of leadership. Sooner or later someone will either join or arise from among those they lead that will challenge the leader’s confidence. This may come by way of knowledge known by the one who challenges them. As a senior pastor, they will come to you and try to convince you that their understanding of the Scripture is more accurate. They usually begin by praising you in some way and then they challenge you with the word ‘but’. “This is great, ‘but’ in the Greek this is what is really meant. You need to lead in this way. You should think about this. What you should have said was…” If a leader doesn’t stand in confidence during these times it can affect their thought process. It can cause them to react, rather than stand in confidence with the God-given direction they have already received. If a leader shrinks back from exercising the authority God has given them it can affect the entire congregation in some way. This was true for the sons of Korah. Their challenge to God’s authority was that they too could hear God (Num. 16:1-35). Jude writes that this is one thing that causes spots and blemishes in a congregation. Because of this they speak evil of the authorities sent to them by God.

Jude 10-13 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

Someone always has the authority to make the necessary decisions and others will sometimes challenge them in those decisions. A leader must stand in confidence before God and before those they lead. Sometimes, like Cain, men or women will rise up against them because of their own jealousies and insecurities. Sometimes a leader will have to stand strong in the face of those who seek to manipulate others for their own personal gain, as was the case with Balaam. A leader must also be confident with his or her God-given direction in the face of others who also hear God. Leaders lead to places that are beyond the present circumstances or knowledge of those they lead. In doing this people will sometimes use what they know to be naturally true or they perceive to be naturally true as a weapon of opposition to the confidence of leadership and the direction being given by God. A leader must lead and to do that effectively, a leader must be confident in their leadership role.

Food For Thought,

Ted J. Hanson

Greetings,

Today I am going to address the subject of authority and leadership. Leaders are God’s idea. They are not some trick of the devil to bring control into the lives of otherwise free people. Leadership is a gift to those who are being led and it is intended to bring more freedom to those they lead. True leadership is not given to take from those they lead, but to give life to them. It is an expression of authority. Leadership is not a grasping for power, but an acceptance of responsibility for a purpose greater than themselves. The responsibility of accepting the role of leadership is like possessing money. Like money, it is neither good nor bad, the outcome of good or bad is in the hands of the one who possesses the responsibility of leadership.

Matthew 7:15-18 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.”

A leader in the Body of Christ has the heart of a sheep. They seek to live to give substance to others. Like the sheep, they provide food and clothing to others. They live for the purpose of the Chief Shepherd’s heart. They are not kings to be served, but sons to serve the King. They are not dictators, but activators, facilitators, and those who bring release of destiny in the lives of others. Leadership doesn’t exist to get others to serve them in fulfilling their own personal purposes. Leaders lead others in fulfilling the corporate purpose of God in their lives. Leaders are like trees. They provide fruit that others can eat. They lead in a way that causes everyone to live for the greater purpose of giving life to others. They lead to bring healing to the nations and food to the generations of men (Rev. 22:2).

A God-sent leader knows that their gift of leadership is a responsibility given to them by God. It is not a position of lording over those they lead, but one of serving them in the purposes of God in their lives.

Mark 9:35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

Leadership is a servant role, not a lording God. It is a gift of authority, not merely a demonstration of power. Those in leadership don’t live to get life from those they lead, but to give life to them in every way. They are under the authority of others so they give the authority of life to those they lead. They lead sheep, so they exhibit the attitude and the attributes of sheep themselves. The apostle Paul warned that false leadership would arise among the people who would act like wolves. They would live to get life from those they sought to exercise power over, rather than to give life others.

Acts 20:29-30 “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”

True leadership doesn’t draw others unto themselves. They point others to Christ. They know that the highest form of communication is the Holy Spirit speaking to the human heart, thus they accept the responsibility of leading others in making a personal connection with God in their own lives.

When leaders grasp for power over others they do not bring life. The result is not a dominion of truth, but a controlling power of death that oppresses those they lead. True dominion is simply being secure in who we are. It is being true. Truth crumbles every lie, but insecure leadership can present a false dominion based upon the control of others. I have experienced this in my own life. I have been under controlling leaders and, unfortunately, I have made this error at times in my own leadership role. I have seen this to be true among good congregations of people all over the world. When the vision of ministry becomes more domineering than the vision of building people, leaders often become more like kings than fathers and mothers. They may have good intentions, but those good intentions often suppress the purposes of God in the lives of those they lead. God doesn’t want us to make names for ourselves, but to live for the building of His community in the earth.

Genesis 11:4-8 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.

In this story found in Genesis the people of the earth were of one speech and purpose, but their focus was a city unto themselves. They had unity, but they didn’t have the purpose of authority. God confused their speech in the hope of something better for mankind. God wants us to have the authority of His purposes in life. It is not unity that God blesses; it is Zion. The place of God’s manifest presence in the earth is the place of God’s blessed purposes. To have a community we must establish what empowers the ‘COME to UNITY’ according to God’s purposes. What does the unity gather around? Leadership seeks to assist those they lead in finding where the oil flows off the feet, finding where the dew descends on Zion. This is the place that unity comes to. It is the place of true authority. It is the place of life. God doesn’t bless unity; unity is the fruit of God’s blessing. His blessing is life forever more and it is seen where heaven touches earth. Unity is the fruit; Christ’s manifest presence is the root. Leaders don’t lead for the sake of unity. They lead for God’s presence and purpose in those they lead. The result will be unity among those who submit to God’s manifest presence and purpose in their lives together.

Psalms 133:1-3  Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD commanded the blessing—life forevermore.

Leadership is given to lead for the purposes of Christ’s community in the earth. It is a role of service, not a kingly rule of dominating others. The secret to true God-anointed leadership is in the heart of the leader. They must lead for the purposes of God in the earth. Their conduct is one of seeking God’s will, not demanding their own way. They are willing to make the sacrifice of leading others for the sake of leading them into His purposes. Leaders don’t seek to get those they lead to do what they want, they seek to do what God wants and inspire others to follow them in His will. They seek the place of peace, the place of no gap between them and God. They live for the purposes of God and for leading others into that path of destiny.

James 3:13-18 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing will be there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

There are often abuses in the area of leadership, but we cannot reject the truth of leadership because of the abuses of the past. We must be secure as leaders and dare to lead others in the areas of our responsibility in life.

Food For Thought,

Ted J. Hanson

Greetings;

The life flow of submission flows within the boundaries of authority. Authority is not a matter of control. It is not a matter of value. It is simply a matter of the order of things and when things are in their divinely arranged order the life substance of authority flows through the avenue of submission. Authority is not a matter of doing the right thing; it is a matter of knowing who you are so that you can be empowered to do all things. The prophet John proclaimed a message that prepared God’s people for receiving the authority of life restored to all men through the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Luke 3:4-14 …as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; and the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ” Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. “And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?” He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.” Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”

John the Baptist was preparing the way for the Lord. His message was a call to the need for true authority. His message didn’t give them restored authority, it merely pointed to the flaw in their relationships. It revealed their need for the true authority of life that comes through the redemption given through the blood of Jesus Christ. It revealed their need to be reconciled to the source of authority. Notice that in verse 10 the people asked, “What shall we do then?”

Those who John spoke to were like all people. Their question was a question of doing, not one of being. People desire to do, before they desire to obey. John’s answer was to simply live lives according to who they were. It was not about the sacrifices of doing. It was about merely being obedient to God within the boundaries of who they were. It wasn’t a great sacrifice; it was simply a matter of living their lives according to what they should be doing.  It’s not like we need to ask what to do. There is always plenty to do. Knowing who we are will empower us to do whatever we need to do in life. Authority that comes through submission is the authority that comes from being responsible in life to live life for the sake of giving life to others.

Authority is based upon our response-ability, not our ability. Each of us must carry our share. If we carry our share, we will do our share. People who are in submission are already walking in authority. Those are the ones who will receive increased authority, because they are already being faithful with what has been given to them. People who want authority generally have a problem with submission, but people who live life as responsible people in connection with others end up being people of great authority. Jesus was such a man. He demonstrated His authority when He was obedient unto death. Jesus became Lord of lords and King of kings by submitting to His Father’s will and serving in His house.  Knowing who He was that empowered Him to live in submission. It was a matter of relationship with His Father, not an obligation to obey.

How do we know whom we are to submit to? The key is relationship. Where do you relate? It’s not where do you want to relate? It’s where has God placed you? What are your responsibilities? Because of a lack of relationship Saul failed in his submission and forfeited His authority. Because of a lack of relationship Saul used his own reasoning to justify his own understanding of obedience.

We must be who we are. When my body parts submit to one another my body functions with authority. The testimony is a living body is made of many functioning members. There is a freedom of life that comes through being joined with others in the process of life. Freedom is not the liberty to do our own thing. True freedom comes by becoming part of something that is greater than us. True freedom comes through living in relational submission with others.

Authority is a process. There is a continual progression in the process of authority in our lives. Authority comes through faith and patience. When we are faithful in who we are we grow in the process of becoming all we are meant to be. It is a matter of faith to move forward and patience to remain faithful in each moment of each day.

Authority is delegated power. Delegated power is power that flows through the connections of relationship with others. Delegated power gives life to others. Power that is taken produces death, but power that is divinely given brings life to those who are connected to your life. Authority comes from submission. It is not over others or God. Power taken from others is illegitimate authority, but power given through divinely connected relationships brings life and is the legitimate power of life.

Food For Thought,

Ted J. Hanson

Greetings,

We are all called by God to be joined in relationship with others. God has called each of us to be joined to the lives of others as active contributors to the expressions of Christ’s body upon the earth. God wants each body member to be comparable, not competitive. When something is comparable it is similar to or equivalent to, but it is uniquely different. It is not competitive with joining members, but comparable in purpose, ability, and destiny. There is no test or challenge of ability of joining members towards one another. There is no rivalry to attain to the same measure in life. God has given a sphere of influence to each member of His body and there is not a limited environmental resource for individual members. Each member contributes to others and thus the expression is one of corporate blessing attained through individual contributions. This is the testimony of a living body. Compatibility only works through submission of each member to another in giving life to one another according to their God-given expression of authority; it is a matter of submission. Relationships live through the life flow of submission. Submission is the cement of relationship.

Ephesians 5:17-21 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Submission is the essence of giving life to another. It is the opposite of seeking self. It is the life of God’s Spirit that gives life to our joining relationships. The psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs that God wants us to release to one another are simply the sound and substance of life. God doesn’t want us to be religious, He want us to be relational. Our hearts must be alive toward God and toward one another. The testimony of our lives is like contributing notes to the song of life in others. Like music, it is a sound of submission. By ourselves we are notes, but together we create a song of life.

James 3:13-18 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing will be there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

If we seek our own interests, we are not in submission. Every time we seek self, we are out of submission. When we seek self we affect the Body of Christ. We are not your own. We belong to Jesus and the Body of Christ. Submission is seeking someone else. Not for their approval, but to serve them and to make them larger! When a wife submits to her husband she is seeking to bring liberty and freedom to her husband. When a husband submits to his wife he is seeking to bring liberty and freedom to his wife. Submission is functioning in what we do for another’s purpose, or for the corporate purpose of the two. The wisdom from above always works towards submission. It never focuses on self. God’s wisdom always contains a willingness to yield to others. God’s wisdom always contains the need for relational connections to others. Submission is an attitude that inspires actions of living for the well-being of others.

The body of Christ is created for submission in order for proper function, just like our own physical bodies. Many members work together to give life to the body.

1 Corinthians 12:14-25 For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.

When the members of our natural body seek to live for themselves it is called cancer or some other debilitating disease. When our body members work in harmony with one another it is a testimony of relational submission and it brings life to every member of our body. When we are in submission we each are able to do our share. This is the testimony of a healthy body with functioning members that are comparable to one another. The diverse members of our body are compatible to one another, but unique in their own function. Each body member lives to contribute life to the body.

Ephesians 4:15,16 …but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head–Christ– from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Submission has to do with compatibility and self-seeking has to do with competition. When we seek our own interests, our own way, our own desires, or anything that is in our personal interest we aren’t putting ourselves in a position to be comparable or compatible to others. In order to be compatible we must be willing to submit to the authority, power, or desires of another. To be comparable is to be equal in value, but yielded in function. To yield your function is to submit your function for the greater function of the whole.

To live in submission we must position ourselves in relationship with others in a comparable way for the greater purpose of corporate destiny. Control is competitive. Submission is comparable. Where there is competition there is no submission. Without submission there cannot be authority. Self-seeking is always competitive. To be comparable means, ‘mine fits with yours and yours fits with mine’. My house is your house and your house is my house.

Where there is competition there is rebellion. Where there is competition there is self-seeking. Where there is competition there isn’t any authority. When we are comparable to one another we become a supply of life to one another. This is the testimony of relational authority.

Food For Thought,

Ted J. Hanson

Greetings,

If submission is not in our hearts we will pretend to obey God’s words. Sacrifice will try to masquerade as obedience from the heart of the non-submissive. Submission is not an action; it is an aspect of relationship. It is part of a culture of honor and it is an attitude of valuing another. When we don’t value someone, we won’t live in a submissive relationship with them. We may pretend to honor them, but our actions will only be a pretend submission through actions of partial obedience.

1 Samuel 15:10-13 Now the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night. So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gulag.” Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD.”

Pretend obedience will pretend submission. When we make sacrifices outside of the boundaries of obedience we defend our actions and pretend to obey. Notice that the words of Saul were those that pretended honor to God and demanded honor for himself. His words were those of a man who saw Samuel as less than the Lord and himself as wiser. He didn’t want to admit that the words of Samuel were the words of the Lord. Saul’s confession was that he had fulfilled the commandment of the Lord. Partial obedience is not obedience at all, but a testimony of a disconnection from submission.

When Saul chose sacrifice over obedience, he removed the personal relationship with God from his conversation with leadership. Saul did not confess the Lord his God, but the God of Samuel. His pretended action was one of obedience to God, but the attitude of his heart caused him to become disconnected from relationship. When we are disobedient to authority it is because we don’t believe that authority is the voice of God in our lives. We justify our own way by avoiding the responsibility as our own. The actions of disobedience were not seen as the actions of Saul, but of the people. Rather than accepting the responsibility of his lack of action he blamed the people for their decision. He confessed full obedience, but pointed the finger to others in the areas the appeared to be less than obedient.

1 Samuel 15:14,15 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.”

Have you ever noticed that when we are disobedient we feel like we are separate from everyone else? That’s not the only thing that does that, but it is one thing that will make us feel like that. When we are disobedient we begin to blame others and we remove the personal responsibility and relationship with God from our conversation.

Saul didn’t seek to submit. He sought power and attention before the people. He was making a procession before the people. He was getting the attention of the people. Had he destroyed everything, he wouldn’t have had anything to make a procession with. Had he been fully obedient it would have been hard to proclaim victory before the people. ‘I did it! I did it! I killed the pigs and the oxen! I killed the women and children!’ It would be hard to go before the people with bloodstained hands and gloat in the victory. It would simply be a humbling experience that he wouldn’t want to talk about. Obedience is dirty sometimes. It is not necessarily something to brag about. Obedience is not necessarily glorious. It can be humbling. You work in the nursery. You change a dirty diaper. ‘I did it! I did it!’ Or maybe subtler like, ‘I didn’t take offense’, ‘I didn’t react to your flaws’, ‘I gave a smile, when I felt like firing a glaring glance’. People may never know that you did what you did, but the overall result will be an atmosphere that says all are glad for your obedience.  Obedience can be that mundane and humbling.

Authority is always received and fulfilled. Anything less or anything more is a grasp for power, but not a submission that brings life to others.
1 Samuel 15:16-18 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Be quiet! And I will tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak on.” So Samuel said, “When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the LORD anoint you king over Israel? “Now the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’

We must fulfill what we’ve received in order to have authority. Authority builds upon authority. As we are obedient God increases our authority. The increase of authority is always a result of obedience.  Authority is not our own personal property, but rather the fulfillment of our responsibility and accountability to another.

1 Samuel 15:19 “Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the LORD?”  

When we have been given authority, we always answer to the source that gave us the authority. Authority is not something that comes from us. It is something that flows through us. All authority comes from God and all authority must be fulfilled with accountability to Him. It is being responsible to Him and responsible to give His substance of life to others. Self-seeking is always self-preserving and will not accept responsibility. Authority is not an independent substance; it is a part of God’s flow of life that transfers life through connections of relationship.

1 Samuel 15:20, 21 And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. “But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.”

You can’t go beyond obedience. Saul added sacrifice and called it obedience. It was a testimony of his own agenda. He decided not to take credit for what seemed small, but he tried to focus on the great things. Did the people spare the sheep and oxen? Yes. Who had the responsibility? Headship had the responsibility of carrying out the task and that headship was in the hands of Saul. Saul’s disobedience caused him to manifest a defensive attitude. Defensiveness is a fruit of self-seeking, self- preservation, self-motivation, or some other manifestation of self. Wisdom from God is willing to yield, but self-seeking wisdom is unwilling to yield. It is earthly, sensual, and even demonically inspired (Jam. 3:13-18). This kind of wisdom can have good intentions or bad, but it is self-focused in its endeavors. Life comes out of authority and only God is the source of life. This is a place of submissive dependence, not independent power.

1 Samuel 15:22, 23 Then Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.”

To do what you are told is better than the best sacrifice. Divination will cause you to lose inheritance. Stubbornness will disqualify you from inheritance. The land will spew you out.  Saul wanted power but he failed to see a right understanding of authority through submission.

1 Samuel 15:24, 25 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.  “Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD.” 

Saul had not repented here. What would repentance look like in this situation? Repentance would have bore the mark of obedience at last. The blood of Agag and all of the sheep, oxen, etc. would have stained Saul’s body. He should have bore the mark of the shame of having to work through the situation late. God would have forgiven him and granted him a different testimony. His willingness to humble himself and look unpopular would have really been a testimony of his love for God. There would have been no shame in that, only the fruit of peace with God and forgiveness of his sin.

1 Samuel 15:26-29 But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.” And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. “And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.”

Saul’s attitude was one of grasping for power. When he seized Saul’s robe it was a demonstration of what Saul valued in his heart. He valued himself more than the authority of God in his life. He was grasping for power, grasping for honor, and grasping for the blessing of God. His actions were those of ‘taking’, not one’s of giving. These were defensive actions of rebellion, not submissive actions of love. Saul was not concerned with making things right in his heart towards authority; he wanted to maintain a place of power over those he thought were under him. We are never given authority over others. We are given authority to give life to others that flows through the river of submission in our lives. Our authority is not a matter of power; it is a matter of life.

1 Samuel 15:30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD your God.”

When we seek to merely exercise power we are self-seeking in our motives. Saul was not truly repentant in his heart. He didn’t see that his real issue was insubordination in his heart towards relationships of authority. He confessed being sorry, but he was not sorry for being insubordinate. He was sorry for the potential consequence of his actions. He still wanted to look good before the elders and the people. He confessed a worship of God, but true worship of God is submission to His authority. Obedient acts of love spawned by relational connections to God’s authority worship God in Spirit and Truth. There was not repentance in Saul’s heart, only self-pity for not gaining the blessings of God in spite of his rebellious ways.

1 Samuel 15:31-35 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD. Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me.” So Agag came to him cautiously. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul. And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

Saul despised authority and therefore lost authority. He was more concerned with how he looked than in being obedient. Samuel had to complete the word of the Lord. He had to fulfill the commission of authority. Saul still would not turn from his way. He was more concerned with how he looked than with obeying the word of the Lord. He was seeking to get something from others. Obedience would have been to give himself fully to the will of God.

Food For Thought,

Ted J. Hanson

Greetings;

Authority only exists in what is real. It is based upon who we are, what is ours today, and how we are empowering others through the substance of the authority we possess now. It is not who are yet to become and or what we are yet to hold. It is standing in our responsibility today. Authority is found in reality and it involves heeding the voice of the Lord today. God sees what we cannot and obedience to Him requires a submission in our hearts. When we know who He is, we trust what He says. When we trust what He says, we can do what He requires. It is a matter of a right relationship with God and with authority.

There is a wonderful story revealing the truth of authority in the book of 1 Samuel. Saul had been chosen king and God was giving him a task of responsibility within his sphere as king of Israel. The prophet Samuel brought the word of the Lord pertaining to the present authority for Saul:

1 Samuel 15:1-3 Samuel also said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the LORD. “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I will punish what Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him on the way when he came up from Egypt. ‘Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”

Human compassion, reasoning, and rationalization could interfere on this one. How many of us would argue with this order? A problem with authority could manifest here. Fulfilling the task being given to Saul would not make him popular among the people. It wasn’t glorious. It was gruesome. It held difficult decisions. It would challenge human reasoning and compassion. There would be no bragging rights to its success.

Today’s obedience is not necessarily glorious. Authority doesn’t necessarily get great attention. Power seeks a show, but authority simply does the job at hand. Human reasoning will give us power, but only obedience gives authority.

1 Samuel 15:4-6  So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley. Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

So far the obedience of Saul looked good. His decisions were life giving and he showed compassion where he should. This is often the case in fulfilling authority. We start out with obedience and we even exercise its implementation with wisdom and life. It is not until the task seems unreasonable that we challenge its fulfillment. As long as our reasoning matches the reasoning of God we are ok. It is only when God’s reasoning collides with ours that we fail in the task. This is why submission is the key to obedience. Submission is not about tasks, it is about relationships. Relationships are about love, trust, and life. Authority is a life-giving substance, but unless we understand the reality of true submission we will make our own judgments in fulfilling its tasks.

1 Samuel 15:7-9   And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

Who decided what was good and what wasn’t? Man did, didn’t he? God had already judged it all as being worthless. The reasoning for such a decision by Saul could have looked like this: “Obviously leadership hasn’t seen the full potential that’s here. Obviously leadership is missing giftings and potentials, which should be appreciated here. This isn’t logical. This isn’t fair. Leadership is rejecting what is truly valuable. It’s obvious that God and Samuel just don’t understand. They just don’t have all of the facts concerning the Amalekites. After looking at the situation, after assessing and surveying it, I’ve found that some of the things here are good. It’s not all useless. There’s some good stuff here. If leadership knew what I know, and could see what I can see, they would agree. My decisions to spare what I know is good is better than what leadership sees.”

Saul wasn’t being wicked. He was being reasonable. He was operating in the full manifestation of the gift of reasoning and human empathy. God is reasonable too, but when we are compared to God He can be totally unreasonable to us. Human reasoning will give us power, but only obedience will give us authority. True obedience comes from submission, but Saul’s heart was independent. He was not submissive to the will of God. He desired power more than he desired authority. He wanted blessing more than he wanted to be a blessing.

How many times have we done things in our lives where we have determined that?  How many times have we been told to do something, but we applied our own reasoning to its completion?  ‘My husband doesn’t really understand the whole picture,’ or ‘my pastor doesn’t understand the whole picture, the home group leader doesn’t really understand everything that’s going on here. It obvious to me that there is good to be preserved here. If leadership knew what I know and could see what I see, they would agree!’

This rationalization is human reasoning and not the wisdom of God. There is too much pain in simple obedience, so we look for alternative possibilities. There is not enough glory in obedience, so we look for something more glorious. There is nothing in it for us if we obey, so we look for personal blessings. The real issue is submission. When we choose human reasoning over what God’s authority has said, it is because we don’t trust the source of authority.

Which is more work, sacrifice or obedience? Which requires a decision from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? This is good, this isn’t. Save this one, destroy that one. What God calls good, we often call bad; and what we call bad, God often calls good.

When we make decisions that are outside of the boundaries of God’s word, our decisions will produce death. They could be decisions that do less action than God requires or they could be decisions that do more actions than God requires. In either case those decisions are ones of sacrifice and not obedience. True authority comes from submission and a submissive heart will always exhibit obedient actions.

Food For Thought.

Ted J. Hanson