Words of Wisdom #299: Authority, Responsibility and Accountability Go Hand-in-Hand

The Lord God of Hosts said: “Go to Shebna, that steward who is in charge of the palace, [and say to him:] What are you doing here? Who authorized you to carve out a tomb for yourself here, carving your tomb on the height and cutting a crypt for yourself out of rock? Look, young man! The Lord is about to shake you violently. He will take hold of you, wind you up into a ball, and sling you into a wide land. There you will die, and there your glorious chariots will be—a disgrace to the house of your lord. I will remove you from your office; you will be ousted from your position. “On that day I will call for my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. I will clothe him with your robe and tie your sash around him. I will put your authority into his hand, and he will be like a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the House of Judah. I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; what he opens, no one can close; what he closes, no one can open. I will drive him, like a peg, into a firm place. He will be a throne of honor for his father’s house. They will hang on him the whole burden of his father’s house: the descendants and the offshoots—all the small vessels, from bowls to every kind of jar. On that day”—the declaration of the Lord of Hosts—“the peg that was driven into a firm place will give way, be cut off, and fall, and the load on it will be destroyed.” Indeed, the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 22:15-25 (HCSB)

Being self-serving as a leader will remove you from your position of leadership. Who follows a selfish person for very long? History is full of ego-driven leaders who put their agenda ahead of their people’s needs, and the result is always disaster, and in many cases even rebellion. This story in the Bible is like that. God had placed Shebna in the position of steward over King Hezekiah’s palace (kind of like the President’s Chief of Staff), however he was caught taking care of his own safety before worrying about the people who he was responsible for. So, the Lord replaced him with Eliakim, a more dependable and servant-leader example. The Lord is looking for servant leaders who will stand firm in the face of adversity and use their authority responsibly and accountably. The Lord will honor those kinds of leaders.

In our churches we need more Eliakim-like leaders. When personal agendas are the overriding motivation of leaders, chaos and conflict will follow. When leaders see conflict and then bail out on the people because they are only concerned about their well-being then lives will be adversely affected. I know of pastors and deacons and other prominent men and women in the church who found their way into positions of influence only to promote their agenda, and the aftermath was never pretty. I remember being called into the office of a pastor because as a bible-study leader and former pastor myself I had asked about the motives of a special lesson series we were asked to teach to all of the church’s small groups. I found the motive of the timing and purpose questionable, so I made an inquiry. Instead of a discussion when I arrived at the meeting I was challenged and scolded. The pastor pointed to his diploma on the wall as to say “how dare you challenge my authority, I am better qualified to make these decisions.” Needless to say that was the moment that any connection I tried to cling to that he was my pastor was severed. His suggestion to this was to tell me to take a “season” off from my teaching role. Those in the room who witnessed this sat without speaking. I merely stood up and said thank you, I understand. The prayer the pastor uttered to conclude the meeting put a cold chill down my spine. The irony of this meeting was my wife and I did take a leave from the church for three months, and in that time there was a huge church split, hearts were torn, relationships strained, and a fellowship was ripped apart. There were no winners – just a flock of scattered and scarred sheep whose pastor took off with the sheep that would follow him and the rest were left standing in the dark in tears.

What kind of leader do you think the Lord honors? Would you recognize such a godly leader? Are you willing to be to receive the authority, responsibility and accountability that come with the position, realizing the Lord is the ultimate authority and example?

Coach

www.coachbrown.org

Then a dispute also arose among them about who should be considered the greatest. But He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles dominate them, and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever is greatest among you must become like the youngest, and whoever leads, like the one serving. For who is greater, the one at the table or the one serving? Isn’t it the one at the table? But I am among you as the One who serves. You are the ones who stood by Me in My trials. I bestow on you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one on Me, so that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom. And you will sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. Luke 22:24-30 (HCSB)