A Wrecking Bar and A Key - Power & Authority

Monday January 17, 2011 #3

You stand outside a door. You need to gain entrance. You have two options.

Option One is a Wrecking Bar. You can ‘break into’ the facility using the Wrecking Bar to destroy the integrity of the door assembly. You will ultimately gain entry. However, the security of the facility that the door previously provided is now gone. Robbers and thieves may now enter any time they choose.

Option Two is a Key. Not just any key, but, the key that unlocks that specific door. You enter, accomplish your task and depart. You lock the door. Subsequent attempts to enter are now preserved and the integrity of the facility as well.

What is the difference? The “Wrecking Bar” approach is Power. Pure raw power. It secured entrance but is profoundly destructive. The “Key” approach is Authority. It gains entrance and preserves the integrity of the system.

The Leadership Lesson is this. Some men cannot seem to distinguish between the two. Leadership must be both effective (getting the task completed) as well as compassionate (1 Peter 5:1-5). In ministry both tasks and people are priorities.

So, the question is this – “Which of the two is your “tool of choice”? It really does matter!