Day 177 - Authority in Leadership

Carley Sheppard


“But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles domineer over them, and those in high position exercise authority over them. 26 It is not this way among you, but whoever wants to become prominent among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” – Matthew 20: 25-28 NASB

Authority is “the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience” (Dictionary.com). To be a good leader, you must model the way for those following you. You must also remember that no matter how much authority you gain, there is always someone else you must answer to.

Matthew 20:25-28 teaches us that we should not hold our authority over others. The more power we receive, the more we must become like a servant. It may seem backward, but the secret to leading is serving well. If Jesus, the ruler of the universe, came to serve, so must we. Jesus is the ultimate example that we must strive for.

I have often said in my career, “If I were only in X position, then things would be better.” We assume that things will be easier as we climb the ladder of success and achieve more authority. The truth is that no matter where you are in the line of authority, you will always have someone above you to answer to. Furthermore, the Bible tells us in Matthew that we are to serve even when we have authority. This week we will examine Jesus’ authority, our authority, and the various earthly authorities we must answer to (bosses, pastors, elders, kings, and presidents).


Next Steps

  • Think about it: Do you consider yourself to be in a position of authority? Why or why not?

  • Think about it: What authorities do you answer to?

  • Action Step: Thank God for the authorities He has put in your life.