Power
“All power comes from the Lord, which is why dunamis demonstrates the power, strength, and force of the Lord God at work in His creation and the lives of His people. The power of God is at work in His people to bring Himself glory.”
~ Christianity.com
One of our South African partners introduced us to the Greek word “dunamis” in some of our discourse recently. He was describing a miraculous movement of God he experienced in a dream. The literal definition of dunamis is power, force, or ability. It is the root of words like dynamo, dynamic, or dynamite that you may be more familiar with. Paul uses it in his second letter to Timothy when he says, “…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
One of the gifts of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus is authority. In fact, all the power and authority he was granted by God is passed to us under the direction of his spirit during the ascension. That is both an incredible privilege and responsibility at the same time.
It is an entrusting.
I can think back over the times in my life when I was trusted with something of great value. A new position, an extended set of direct reports, a ministry post, and even the hand of a woman in marriage. The sense of both privilege and responsibility that rose in me because of how that was bestowed completely changed me. It was rising to the occasion prompted by the incredible honor of the entrusting.
One of the great questions for leaders: What have you done with your power and authority? Or, how have you managed the incredible gifts you have been entrusted with?
Dallas Willard suggests, “The primary work of God is finding men to whom he can entrust his power. And the story of most men is being entrusted with power and it bringing harm to themselves and those in their care.” I am sure many leaders, both male, and female, came to mind as you read that statement. Sadly, most of us have suffered under bad leaders that didn’t handle their power well.
As coaches, we feel like we have a responsibility to challenge leaders in both of these ways:
Raise the level of nobility, honor, and privilege of a leader’s authority.
Raise the level of accountability around how they administer that privilege and authority.
Ironically, most leaders we work with already carry a tremendous amount of guilt associated with how they administer their privilege and authority. We don’t have to spend a ton of time on the second issue. They know they could do better and suffer inside when they don’t.
The real work we have to do is to introduce them to the nobility, honor, and authority already granted to them. We focus mostly on the first point. It is an extreme raising of the bar, but it is also an appointing that makes becoming a more “generous governor” (life-giving leader) easier. When we walk in the full authority granted us, it makes every step of our leadership journey easier and more meaningful.
Consider
How clear are you on the power, authority, and privilege of your leadership?
How are you handling that power?
How might your leadership change if you understood and accepted the authority offered to you in the ascension?