Purpose And Power Of Authority (33 page)

To give us this rest, Christ, our Authorized Dealer, first asks us to “come” and acknowledge that true authority and purpose cannot be found apart from Him.

Second, He asks us to “take His yoke” upon ourselves so we can learn from Him. Note that we are the ones who voluntarily take His yoke because we want to work alongside Him to fulfill the Creator’s plans. He doesn’t put the yoke on us. In this way, once again, we see that submission is always a voluntary act on our part to fulfill a God-given purpose.

Taking Christ’s yoke involves walking alongside Him as we discover and accept our inherent realms of authority, learn the truths and principles of authority in God’s Word, and live according to them.

In this process, we are guided by the One who made us and who deeply loves us. He is not an angry authority figure ready to strike us down, as some have imagined. His “gentle and humble” attitude toward us draws us to Him and enables us to learn from Him and to become what He created us to be. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17).

Christ’s yoke is “easy” because, as we walk beside Him, He guides us in the way we should go. What we carry is “light” because it consists of truths and principles that set us free. It is also light because it is natural, and because, when we live in that naturalness, we are no longer weighed down by false authority and the dead-end roads of fearful and self-centered living.

Through the “yoke” of genuine authority, you can live in the joy of your personal domain in God’s great design. You can release the principle, power, and protection of authority into your life and circumstances. It is my prayer that this book will bring healing and restoration of order to all realms of society, throughout the nations of the world. People all over the earth need the peace, confidence, and security of genuine authority. We therefore need to reverse the misunderstanding, misuse, and abuse of authority worldwide, so that we will increasingly have more of the right kind of authority and less of the wrong kind of authority.

You have been invited by your Creator to “come” and “take” your God-given authority to fulfill His purposes for you and your generation. Will you accept His invitation?

Many Third World peoples have become suspicious of the concept of authority as a result of the way they have been historically misused and abused by other nations and groups. Postcolonial countries experienced the oppressive abuse of domineering kingdoms that exercised control over their territories. Many of these powers annihilated cultures while raping the resources of their colonies, subjugating those who were native to these conquered areas and trading in human labor and life; in essence, they reduced humanity to commodities and chattel.

These experiences resulted in two diverse attitudes among the oppressed: (1) they promoted a defeatist, surrendered outlook, and (2) they ignited a fierce resolve to throw off any form of perceived authoritative control and to establish the pursuit of freedom as the ultimate ideal. Significantly, both of these attitudes have often been accompanied by a rejection not only of false authority but also of legitimate authority.

Consequently, Third World peoples have embraced the worldwide trend toward pure democracy that has clouded the clear boundaries of authority. This trend causes people to continually test the parameters of “freedom.” If the present movement in the evolution of democracy continues, without the reestablishment of clear absolutes of authority, then I believe the “American experiment” and other experiments in democracy will fail because authority preserves, protects, and defends that which submits to it.

Two principles of authority that I have emphasized in this book are (1) ignorance of true authority is the father of anarchy, and
(2)without true authority, purpose has no protection. Unfortunately, we see these principles unfolding in developing countries. A misunderstanding of genuine authority and true freedom in the Third World has actually led to new forms of oppression.

People will do almost anything if they think it is vital to their survival, and that is why we are seeing some native Third World leaders abusing their own people in an attempt to gain something for themselves. They have been in the land of scarcity for so long that they think they should grab hold of whatever they can, while they can. Yet we can never lift ourselves up by tearing others down. We are called to protect not only our individual purposes but our collective purposes, as well. Our policies and our actions should promote the good of all.

To do this, we must come to the place where we realize—and exemplify the fact—that freedom and authority are not incompatible. Rather, freedom comes through authority, and the two support and complement one another. Remember that God took a group of slaves—the Hebrews—brought them out of Egypt, and made a large and powerful nation out of them. However, what was the first thing He gave them in establishing their freedom? He didn’t tell them that now they could do anything they wanted to do (which was their continual tendency). Instead, He gave them a solid authority on which they could build their lives. He gave them His law, through Moses, as their source of authority. And He gave them His presence to support and guide them.

The key concept we must embrace is that recognizing Absolute Authority—God’s authority, with the principles and laws of His Word—is essential for entering into the true freedom of personal and corporate authority in developing nations. “Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’” (John 8:31–32). Drawing on our Absolute Authority is also essential for delegating our inherent authority to those around us who need our support and assistance to enter into the power of their own personal domains.

Genuine authority is the only path to establishing real freedom. We cannot deny either ourselves or others in the developing world the opportunity to build on what has been accomplished so far. And we will reverse and perhaps even destroy what has been accomplished if we reject the principles of authority.

Instead, let us enter into all the liberties, all the possibilities, and all the advancement of a life authorized and designed by our Creator and given to us for our enrichment and His pleasure.

Endnotes

Chapter Four

1See Merrill F. Unger and William White Jr., eds., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (New York: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1985), 45, s.v. Author, number 2, archegos.

Chapter Five

1Larry Donnithorne, The West Point Way of Leadership
(New York: Currency Books [Doubleday], 1993), 19.

Chapter Ten

1http://www.nba.com/history/players/jordan_bio.html.

2Scott Merkin, “Jordan’s Effort a Marvel 15 Years Later,” MLB.com, http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090223&content_id=3869616&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

3Ibid.

Chapter Fifteen

1For a detailed discussion of the inherent makeup and roles of men and women, please refer to the author’s books Understanding the Purpose and Power of Woman (Whitaker House, 2001) and Understanding the Purpose and Power of Men (Whitaker House, 2001).

2Tom Minnery, “The Relationship between Church, Family and Government,” Focus on the Family magazine, July 1998, 12, 10.

3George Washington, presidential farewell address, page 20, http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/documents/farewell/transcript.html.

4For a biblical discussion of women and leadership, please refer to the author’s book Understanding the Purpose and Power of Woman, chapter 11, “Should Women Be in Leadership?” (Whitaker House, 2001).

Dr. Myles Munroe is an international motivational speaker, best-selling author, educator, leadership mentor, and consultant for government and business. Traveling extensively throughout the world, Dr. Munroe addresses critical issues affecting the full range of human, social, and spiritual development. The central theme of his message is the maximization of individual potential, including the transformation of followers into leaders and leaders into agents of change.

Dr. Munroe is founder and president of Bahamas Faith Ministries International (BFMI), a multidimensional organization headquartered in Nassau, Bahamas. He is chief executive officer and chairman of the board of the International Third World Leaders Association and president of the International Leadership Training Institute.

Dr. Munroe is also the founder and executive producer of a number of radio and television programs aired worldwide. In addition, he is a frequent guest on other television and radio programs and international networks and is a contributing writer for various Bible editions, journals, magazines, and newsletters. He is a popular author of more than forty books, including The Principles and Benefits of Change, Becoming a Leader, The Most Important Person on Earth, The Spirit of Leadership, The Principles and Power of Vision, Understanding the Purpose and Power of Prayer, Understanding the Purpose and Power of Woman, and Understanding the Purpose and Power of Men.

For more than thirty years, Dr. Munroe has trained tens of thousands of leaders in business, industry, education, government, and religion. He personally addresses over 500,000 people each year on personal and professional development. His appeal and message transcend age, race, culture, creed, and economic background.

He has earned B.A. and M.A. degrees from Oral Roberts University and the University of Tulsa, and he has been awarded a number of honorary doctoral degrees. He has also served as an adjunct professor of the Graduate School of Theology at Oral Roberts University.

Dr. Munroe and his wife, Ruth, travel as a team and are the proud parents of two adult children, Charisa and Chairo (Myles Jr.).

To maximize your personal authority, review the following principles and scriptural examples of authority, which are essential for discovering and executing your purpose in your generation, pleasing your Author, and bringing personal satisfaction and significance to yourself.

• God is a God of authority.
  

• God is the Source of all authority.
  

• God created everyone and everything with inherent authority.
  

• Authority is a natural law and a principle of creation.
  

• Authority is natural to a person.
  

• Personal authority is determined by gifts, talents, natural abilities, and inner passion.
  

• Personal authority is the Author’s permission for you to become yourself.
  

• Purpose is what you were authorized to do; your assignment is your purpose.
  

• Authority is the source of true power and the means to the full release of that power.
  

• Authority makes life easier and also makes life look easy to others.
  

• Authority establishes its own freedoms and limitations.
  

• Authority can only be given, never taken.
  

• Authority protects delegated authority and its power.
  

• Authority is always accountable.
  

• Authority needs no self-defense; its decisions are validated by its source.
  

• Submission to authority releases authority and protects purpose.
  

• Authority is the key to life and proper function, as well as the foundation of effectiveness; it guarantees maximum performance.
  

• Authority gives life significance.
  

• Authority is the guarantee of fulfillment.
  

• Authority is the measure of success.
  

• Authority is based on faith and produces confidence.
  

• Authority leads to order and peace.
  

• Ignorance or absence of authority produces confusion and chaos.
  

• Disobedience to authority sacrifices purpose and cancels vision.
  

• The unauthorized can only abuse.
  

• One can be gifted, talented, skilled, and experienced and still be unauthorized by not fulfilling one’s God-given potential and personal authority.
  

• One must not only discover his authority but also release it and remain in it.
  

• If one has strayed from authority, he should immediately submit to it again so that his gifting can be renewed within him.
  

• Genesis 1:1: God is the Author of all creation.
  

• Genesis 1:11–12: The seed of everything is in itself; authority is inherent.
  

• Genesis 1:16–17: God created two lights to “govern” the day and the night.
  

• Genesis 1:24–25: God created the animals according to their kinds.
  

• Genesis 1:26–28: Man (male and female) was made in God’s image and given personal authority as well as dominion over the earth.
  

• Genesis 6:13–22: Noah was authorized to build the ark.
  

• Genesis 12:1–3: Abraham was authorized to be the father of a new people and nation.
  

• Exodus 3:7–10: Moses authorized to go to Pharaoh and to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
  

• Matthew 3:13–17: John was authorized to baptize people and to prepare the way for the Authorized Dealer (Jesus), or the Messiah.
  

• Luke 4:31–36: Jesus operated under the authority and power of God so that the people were “amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority,” and “with authority and power he [gave] orders to evil spirits and they [came] out.”
  

• John 21:19–22: Peter was authorized to follow Jesus only in his own personal authority and was not to trespass on the authority of anyone else.
  

• Matthew 16:18; John 21:15–17: Peter was authorized to care for and build up the church.
  

• Acts 26:12–18: Paul was given authority to go to the Gentiles “as a servant and as a witness” of Jesus.
  

• John 1:12: Those who are restored to the Creator are authorized to become “children of God.”