Influence Versus Authority

You're listening to the My Morning Devotional Podcast, episode 1593. Today's Devo is called Influence versus Authority.

Hey there, we're the Alestees, a ministry family working together in our church in Miami, Florida. And if you're like us, when days get busy and to-do lists get longer, it can be hard to find devotional time. That's why we've partnered with our friend Allison to produce a five-minute daily dose of heaven. This is the My Morning Devotional Podcast.

Good morning, My Morning Devotional. Stephanie here, very excited to dive into our devotional today. This one is tainted more to leaders, but I believe as Christians we are all leaders. So I hope this encourages you. So let's dive into it today. I'm reading from 1 Timothy 4.12 in the NIV version, which says, Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. I love that verse. So here's something that I've been thinking about recently. Authority is the voice that speaks to you. But influence is the voice that follows you. Let me just say it one more time. Authority is the voice that speaks to you, while influence is the voice that follows you. They're not the same thing. Your boss has authority. Your parents have authority. Your pastor has authority. A police officer has authority. But influence is different. Influence isn't something that somebody gives you. We have to earn. And how do we earn it? Through the consistency of our life. And here's the truth that I am learning. You can have authority without influence, but lasting influence almost always produces authority. You know, Paul, he's writing to Timothy in this Bible verse, who is a young pastor leading multi-generations, multiple generations in the city that he was planted in. Talk about a really, really tough job. And how does Paul tell Timothy to earn their respect? Paul did not say, Timothy, demand it. Paul did not say, Hey, Timothy, Timothy, remind everybody every Sunday of who you are and why I put you in this position. Instead, Paul says, be an example. Notice what Paul does not say. He doesn't say, make sure everyone knows you're the leader. He says, live in such a way that people want to follow your example. That is influence. And people may obey authority because they have to, but they follow influence because they want to. Who modeled this perfectly? Good old Jesus Christ. He had this down packed. He number one certainly had the authority because he was the son of God, but he taught with authority. He commanded storms, he cast out demons. But what made people leave everything to follow him wasn't simply his authority. It was his character, his compassion, his humility, his integrity, his love, his life gave weight to his words. Also, his discernment, his ability to say, that's wrong and that's right. And you know what? I'm gonna do what's right and not what's wrong. That is what made people really want to follow them with their whole lives. It's what continues to drive us to want to follow Jesus. So why am I telling you this? Because deep down I do believe all Christians are leaders to a certain point. Think about it this way authority can tell someone what to do, but influence inspires someone to become something. Authority can make people comply, but influence it can change their hearts. Authority, it may get somebody's attention for a brief moment, but influence, influence can shape the direction of someone's life for years. I'm sure you have the people in your life that have influenced you. Words that they spoke over you that continue to follow you to this day, that continue to remind you of who you are in Christ. What if we became an influence to others, just like our leaders were an influence to us? And why are we leaders? Because as followers of Jesus Christ, someone is always watching. I went to a coffee shop last week. I walk in, I'm a little tired because I'm in a lot of pain from my pregnancy. I don't have a smile on my face. I go up and I order coffee, and sure enough, the girl there is looking at me like super happy and super kind. And she then tells me, Hey, I know you from your church. I know your whole family. And I know that your sisters just got married. Shout out to Sophia. Girl, I remember your name. You're super nice. Thanks for the coffee. But she knew my whole life. And I could have totally squandered that moment if I did not exemplify Christ wherever I went. And us Christians, whether you're a church leader or not, people are watching us. And you know what? Our children are watching us, our coworkers are watching us, our friends, our neighbors, people that we've never met are learning something from the way you and I live. And whether you realize it or not, your life is preaching a sermon every single day. So here's a simple question to ask yourself today. If nobody listened to my words, what would they learn from my life? Would they see kindness? Would they see integrity behind closed doors and out in public? Would they see patience? Would they see humility? Would they see faith and boldness? Would they be drawn closer to Jesus simply by observing the way I respond to disappointment, success, conflict, or pressure? Because the greatest influence you will ever have isn't through what you say. It's through who you consistently become. Because the more you look like Jesus, guys, the more your life will naturally influence others. Let's pray. God, we thank you for the people that you have placed in our lives. Maybe it's our children, our coworkers, or maybe it is a team at church. Maybe we are leading a multitude of people closer to you. So, Father, I pray that you will inspect the depths of our heart and our actions. Show us the sins that we do not see. Because, Father, we just want to be like you. And we want to step out into the streets and be a walking example of your gospel, of your character, of your kindness. Everywhere we go, Father, we pray that it's not us that are being noticed, but it's you. It's Jesus Christ. So work through us. If we have to change our speech, we'll change our speech. If we have to change our thinking, we'll change our thinking. If we have to change our actions, we'll change our actions. Because we want to glorify you with everything that we do. Drive us, God, to be more like you every day. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. So there you have it, your five minute daily dose of heaven. Thank you so much for tuning in today. We pray these devotionals empower you to take on your day. If you've found value in this devotional, share it with a friend. Leave a comment or review for us on the app you're using right now. Until tomorrow, we pray that your latte is strong, but your love for Jesus is stronger.