(Heb.12:28)
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”
There is such a thing as “godly fear”, and we should seek God to know how this godly fear is designed to play out in our relationship with the Lord and our relationship with others. By extension of relationship with God and fearing God, godly fear should be manifesting in our relationships with and our relationship to authority. This is godly, right, and wise.
We should all have people in our lives that are not intimidated by us, but who intimidate us a little. Of course bad-hearted leaders will abuse this, but it is truly a sign of godly authority nonetheless. Think of the relationship that a healthy father has with a healthy son. In a healthy father-son relationship there is playfulness, there is joking around, and there is fun, but there is also respect, healthy fear, and boundaries. In a healthy father-son relationship, the son thinks about the things he does before He does them because He knows that his actions have consequences. Why? Because that son is under that father’s authority and God has commanded and ordained that father to correct that son in a godly manner. When a father becomes just another buddy in a son’s life then the foolishness bound up in that child’s heart will only grow (Prov.22:!5). Sons don’t need another buddy in place of a father. They need fathers that will exercise their authority and actually play the role of father in their lives. The same is true in ministry and in life. We all need authority figures that we must give account to, that are responsible for us, and that have the authority to correct us when it’s needed. Without this there can be no true growth, no true discipleship, and no true protection through covering.
With godly authority, there are consequences for your actions, therefore you think more about what you’re doing before you do it. As I’ve stated, this is important for growth and maturity. Someone who is truly in authority over you should not be intimidated by you or your anointing. They should be willing & able to correct you should the situation arise that warrants it. Too often people who are “placed in authority” over leaders in the body of Christ are not true authority, because they fear the leader more than the leader fears them. They are yes-men puppets meant to give the appearance of accountability, but in reality this gives the leader free reign to behave however they want. Remember, the fear of God in the Bible is fear, no matter what Hebrew & Greek gymnastics you do with the word. We should have a healthy fear of God, as well as a healthy fear of the people he puts in authority over us. This is godly, right, and wise.”
CONCLUSION
If you had father issues growing up, if you’ve been wounded by authority figures in the past, chances are when God brings a new authority figure into your life and you begin to feel that healthy godly fear in the dynamic of the relationship you will feel the temptation to run. Don’t. Recognize godly fear as a sign of true godly authority and submit to it. Submitting to godly authority that the Lord has brought into your life is one of the most blessing-filled fruitful decisions you will ever make! People will let you down, but God will never let you down. If you’re having trouble trusting a leader, don’t focus on trusting them, focus on trusting God. You can trust God in your leader, because although leaders are imperfect, our perfect heavenly Father is working through them, and God will bless you through them when you learn to submit, fear God, and flow with his ordained authority in your life.
In his Service,
Stephen Powell
