To Have Authority You Must Be Under Authority

I heard this paradox articulated in this way by Andy Stanley in an excellent message called "Challenging the Process." In the message, Andy shares that leaders by nature want to challenge the status quo. Leaders are not content just to accept things as they are. One point he made that deeply resonated with me was that if you are a leader and God has give you the desire to challenge the process if you don’t use the gift you will become cynical. At times I struggle with when to push and when not to push against the status quo. His message reminded me this is a tension that must be lived if I am to lead, yet if I abandon challenging the process then I am betraying myself.

While playing up the importance of challenging the process, Andy also drove home the need to be respectful and live under authority. He offers some strategies on how to be respectful of authority. One important one is to challenge bosses and authority figures privately but to support them publicly.

The paradox to drive home is that good leaders are also good followers. Good leaders allow themselves to be led. (The inverse is not true. Good followers do not necessarily make good leaders.) Why are good leaders good followers and people who live under authority?

First, it is the nature of reality. God is in charge. He has authority over the whole world. In the end, there will be two groups of people – the people who live under his authority as sovereign God and those who fail to live under his authority. The people in the first group will be given more authority. Jesus teaches this in his parables, especially in Luke’s account of the parable of the talents. People who don’t recognize God’s authority will lose any power or authority they thought they had.

Second, when living under authority we grow our character. We learn the value of humility. We learn that there is limit to our wisdom and power. When we place ourselves under authority we are teachable and can learn. Living under authority also teaches us patience as authority above us will make mistakes and we must learn to accept those mistakes.

Third, it establishes moral authority. If you don’t respect decisions of the people above you and live under their authority, then why will someone listen to when you have a position of authority? Humbly following leaders builds our characters and our spirits to be somebody worth following. Living under authority establishes us as someone worth following.

Paul said it this way, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” Paul had the humility to realize that he couldn’t lead anyone on his own. He needed Jesus to lead him along the right path. However, he recognized that because he was following Christ, he was a leader worth following. He is able to speak without arrogance, but with confidence because he lived under the authority of Christ.

What does it look like to you to challenge authority, while still respecting it?