SHARKS AND OTHER ROLE MODELS OF POWER

Genesis chapter 1




Today we are walking in: Sharks and Other “Role Models” of Power




Today we look to the word-LEADER- H5057 nagiyd-- leader, ruler, captain, prince; excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.





The Torah Testifies.............................

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The prophets proclaim...............





Isaiah 55:4 - Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader H5057 and commander to the people.










The writings bear witness.............





2Chronicles 32:21 - And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders H5057 and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword







Sharks and Other “Role Models” of Power




Why Authority Has Become the Enemy




Were you surprised at my description of authority in teaching one as being personal and coming from within? Many people think of authority as something only outside of them—even imposed on them.




What do you normally think of when you hear the word authority? Do you have a positive or negative image of it?




How Our Ideas Affect the Way We Live




Our perspectives in life are largely developed by our firsthand experiences. Sometimes, our experiences have a positive effect on us and lead to life-affirming thoughts and actions. Other times, they have a negative effect on us and can cause us to adopt mind-sets that limit us. We therefore have to be careful about basing our lives solely on our experiences. Otherwise, our deductions may prevent us from having full, rewarding lives if they lead us to live in discouragement, fear, distrust of others, and so forth.




Whenever I drive in a particular area in my neighborhood, I am reminded of an accident I had there one time, and those memories and feelings associated with the accident still come back to me. Sometimes, returning to a certain location or environment in our lives can reawaken a discomfort or fear we thought we had overcome. We have to make a decision not to let those feelings control us and affect the way we live.




All of us collect certain fears throughout our lives from experiences that have caused us discomfort, dissatisfaction, or pain. To use a simple example, suppose a child got stuck in an elevator for two hours and developed a fear of enclosed spaces. Then, when he was a young man, he was involved in several car accidents and become fearful whenever driving. As he grew older, he fell and suffered a bad break in his arm, and so he developed a fear of falling. Everyone experiences issues such as these.




While we have to use normal precautions and common sense as we go about our lives, fears of enclosed spaces and accidents are not inherent but learned fears. When someone experiences any type of fear, it is very real to that person, whether or not others feel that the fear is justified. We are dealing with emotions that have begun to affect our behavior and that need to be addressed.




In a similar way, we have developed our attitudes and reactions toward authority—whether negative or positive—from our past experiences with “authority figures” rather than from really stopping to think about the concept. I don’t think that most people naturally fear or reject true authority. If someone is uncomfortable with, fears, or despises the idea of authority, he’s likely had a negative experience at some point that precipitated it.




Our attitudes and perspectives toward authority have a direct effect on our outlooks on life and on ourselves, and on what purposes and goals we pursue. Therefore, our discomfort with and fear of authority likewise need to be acknowledged and addressed if we are going to pursue our personal authority.




Unfortunately, most of us have had opportunities for negative experiences with authority. Many of our parents, extended family members, teachers, employers, and civic and religious leaders have unknowingly contributed to our misunderstanding of authority because of their own lack of understanding of what genuine authority is. Our spouses may have contributed to our confusion over authority because of their own background and personal experiences, which they bring to the relationship. Our cultures have contributed to our misconceptions about authority through established traditions based on misinterpretations of authority. In the religious realm, many people perceive Yah as a monster because of what they were taught as children; they were told that He is a tyrant looking for someone to catch so He can punish him in hell. Finally, we ourselves have perpetuated our misunderstandings of authority by reinforcing the erroneous ideas we have absorbed. Again, much of what we’ve experienced has built up a picture of authority in our minds and hearts that is intrusive or frightening. If a whole race or generation fears authority, it’s because somewhere in their collective past, they experienced pain, discomfort, or dissatisfaction as a result of an apparent authority.




Opinions about Authority




People’s widely different experiences with authority in our contemporary world, as well as in previous eras, have led to quite diverse opinions about it. That is why, if you browse quotations about authority on the Internet and in books, you will find as opposite views as Oscar Wilde’s seeming rejection of it—“Authority is quite degrading”—to Albert Einstein’s ironic observation —“To punish me for my contempt for authority, fate made me an authority myself”—to Daniel Webster’s passionate warning: “[I]f we and our posterity reject religious instruction and authority, violate the rules of eternal justice, trifle with the injunctions of morality, and recklessly destroy the political constitution which holds us together, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us, that shall bury all our glory in profound obscurity.”




It seems as if people divide into certain camps when it comes to authority. To some, it represents order and structure. To others, it represents a lack of freedom of thought and action. Authority is considered by many to be a negative force that stifles people’s freedom—or at best a necessary evil to keep life functioning.




Yet authority in its true form is not stifling or restrictive. Genuine authority creates an environment for people to think, to dream, to discover and refine their gifts and talents, to build others up, and to develop themselves fully. Authority has therefore been hijacked, and the result is that it has been misconceived, misdefined, and misrepresented across the globe.




Swimming with the Sharks




In the tropical, sun-drenched Islands in the Caribbean, is considered by millions to be surrounded by the most beautiful waters in the world. Obviously, water activities are very popular. I sometimes like to go spearfishing in the ocean, and I’ve seen sharks a number of times. Whenever I’m underwater and see a shark, however, I still get chills all over, especially if the shark is larger than I am! There have been a few times when all indications have pointed to the fact that the shark was very interested in me, and I felt totally helpless.




One time, I had speared a fish, the fish was still moving on my spear, and a shark came by and apparently decided, “You’ve stolen my meal.” Let me tell you, I was very accommodating. I dropped the spear as I thought, Mr. Shark, you can have the fish and the spear. At the same time I was thinking this, I was swimming away. I knew that if the shark wanted to overtake me and get a piece of me, he could do so without any problem. Why? I was not born to swim, so it was not as easy for me to move through the water as it was for him. It took much more effort on my part than it took the shark because swimming is one of his natural abilities, and the ocean is his natural domain. It is his realm of authority. Sharp teeth are also a part of his authority. It’s an authority I am aware of and respect, and so I protect myself accordingly.




There are many stories and proven cases of shark attacks in which many people have been maimed and others have lost their lives. Do we or can we blame the sharks for these incidences, or do we accept them as a natural result of the authority within nature at work? It seems that the shark considers his behavior natural and well within his authority. In essence, we are trespassing on his domain of authority, and that violation results in a natural display of his authority.




It is interesting to note that we do not condemn all sharks for the actions of one. We do not cancel the value of sharks or dismiss the vital role they play in the broad scheme of things. We see them as simply exercising their authority in nature. Maybe we should rethink our fear of sharks and exchange it for respect for their authority. Every time I am in the ocean and see the magnificent beauty and power of the shark, I am reminded that it is I who am trespassing on his domain of authority, and so I honor that fact by keeping my distance and being ready to leave his domain at a moment’s notice. Through understanding, my fear of authority has become a respect for authority.




Human “Sharks”




I’ve run into certain people who have pretty sharp teeth, as well. We can experience a whole set of problems when we deal with human “sharks” in the guise of authority figures who do serious damage to our lives. The difference between these people and the sharks in the ocean is that they are operating outside the parameters of true authority and beyond their natural environments of authority. They misuse and abuse authority as they rule over others in various capacities and realms of life. They grab what doesn’t belong to them, and, because they have become adept at doing so and are able to wield their sharp teeth, those around them have to drop their own natural authority and swim for their lives.




Considering the bad experiences with authority many of us have had, we need to be careful not to “throw the baby out with the bathwater.” In this series, we will explore many reasons why genuine authority is very good and, in fact, essential to a life of productivity and fulfillment. Yet because it has been abused by those who were the custodians or usurpers of authority throughout history, people have been burned so badly that they reject what they believe has caused that pain—“authority”—rather than the misuses of it.




Some people have used knives as weapons to kill people, but the knives themselves were not the issue. The problem was with those who wielded the knives. Likewise, if you are burned while you are ironing clothes, the iron is not the problem but whatever absentmindedness, accident, or mechanical malfunction caused you to be burned by it. So, the problem is not authority but rather how people have treated it. Most people do not recognize exactly what they’re reacting to when they resist so-called authority. Yet focusing on their bad experiences can prevent them from having good experiences with authority in the future.




Common Misconceptions of Authority




Because these false but commonly accepted concepts of authority have so permeated the nations and cultures of the world, we first need to explore what true authority is not so that we can become free of our misconceptions and clearly understand what true authority is.




See if you recognize any human “sharks” represented in the following concepts of authority. Some of these terms may overlap, but each also has a distinct aspect to it that is worth noting.




A Person Who Wields Power




One of the false concepts of authority that has led to its misuse and abuse is that power is synonymous with authority. Many people have come to see authority as a greater strength that is able to subdue others.




Power is the capacity to move something by force or energy, whether it is an object, an idea, or a person. It is the ability to cause, activate, initiate, transform, or impact. Power can be exercised through position, knowledge, strength, force, integrity, influence, personality, or threats. But power is not the same thing as authority. The difference is that true authority is always sanctioned, or authorized, whereas power can be illegitimate, or unauthorized. Power that is used to harm people in some way is clearly unauthorized; it has then become a weapon. Bullies of all ages use power in this way.




Many people who have come into contact with power that is oppressive and even abusive develop a fear of authority because, in their minds, they have transferred that experience to authority itself. For example, if a child is physically abused by a parent, he may try to protect himself from further abuse by rejecting any adult whom he sees as an authority figure. If a wife is repeatedly emotionally abused by her husband, she can become suspicious of others who make suggestions or offer direction, equating their motives with the same kind of control.




On a societal or national level, history is unfortunately strewn with examples of unauthorized power. One of the most obvious examples is Adolf Hitler, who seized control of Germany through intimidation and overpowering force and then turned his weapons of abuse on much of Europe. Those who wield power without authority are forced to subject people to their wills. When we see a person oppressing other people, whether by a carrot-and-stick approach or by controlling their destinies because he has something the people need, that’s an abuse of authority. Slave owners use power to the point of “owning” other human beings and overwhelming them by physical force.




Power was never meant to exist for or by itself but as a tool for good. Power has to be protected and regulated, and genuine authority does this. For example, electricity without conductivity or grounding can be destructive; yet, with these things, it can give us light and energy to run appliances, equipment, electronic devices, and so forth. The same power that could destroy us becomes a service to us if it is regulated, or submitted to the right purpose.




Power is merely energy and ability, but authority is permission and right to use the power. Power without authority is energy without authorization; it is illegal force. The key to success is not power alone but knowing and using authorized power. Someone acting with true authority empowers and protects people. True authority converts power into service.




That is why the greatest protection against misdirected power is genuine authority. When people operate in an authorized way, they will use power to serve constructive ends.




We must also recognize, however, that authority without power is ineffective; it is essentially permission to do something without the ability to carry it out. Authority is responsibility but power is ability. Have you ever appealed to a government official or worked for a supervisor at your job who had no ability to take action or make needed changes or corrections? You cannot give authority without also empowering the recipient to act, or that authority is useless. A person should delegate authority only if he has the capability to back it up.




Authority and power are therefore inseparable. If they are separated, the purpose of each becomes weakened, distorted, or nullified. Each has its place.




A Person Who Has the “Boss Spirit”




The concept of the “boss spirit” is related to power, but its main attribute is the abuse of position through manipulation. The word manipulate is defined as “to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means.” The boss spirit is the idea that having authority means you can take advantage of people, order them around at will, and get them to do what you want through coercion.




Such a perspective is unnatural and antithetical to true authority. When someone in a leadership position embraces this false idea of authority, he engages in actions that intimidate, discriminate, exploit, oppress, suppress, and abuse people. Many people have either treated others according to the boss spirit or have experienced the receiving end of it, to a greater or lesser extent.




The opposite of the boss spirit is to use authority for the good of all concerned and to seek others’ cooperation and contributions rather than trying to maneuver them.




A Person Who Rules or Is “In Charge”




Many people think that because someone rules over them or is “in charge,” that person automatically has authority. Since authority needs legitimacy and authorization, however, those who usurp the role of leader actually have no genuine authority, even though they are in positions where they can rule.




Any attempt to be in charge without authorization cancels authority. Many governments in nations around the world have had unauthorized rulers. Some of those rulers may have done extraordinary things, but they were still illegitimate.




People who overthrow legitimate rule for the sake of taking power always have to keep looking over their shoulders for those who might do the same to them. They have established a precedent of disregard for established authority. They often have to kill people to get and keep their power because everyone is aware that it is not valid.




A person can legitimately be “in charge,” but he has to earn his position and be authorized for it—through legal election, proper succession, a group’s consensus, and so forth. There is an account in the ancient Scriptures of a young shepherd named David who received authorization from Yah to succeed King Saul as the next king of Israel. A prophet was sent to tell him of his appointment and to anoint him for his rule. However, even with this divine sanction behind him, David did not take the throne until it was time for him to do so. He did not kill the current ruler, King Saul. As long as Saul was still alive, he did not usurp the throne, even though Saul sought to take his life. David stated, “I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the Lord’s anointed” (1 Samuel 24:10). After Saul died, David then became the legitimate ruler of Israel.




A Person Who Dominates




While the “boss spirit” mainly refers to manipulation, and “in charge” refers to usurpation, the domination concept has to do with control. Many people confuse authority with domination.




There are those whose operate entirely through control. Some of these people are so insecure that the only way they feel they can hide their vulnerability and have others’ respect is (ironically) to be heavy-handed.




In order to maintain a state of control, those who operate according to this approach threaten others or use some of the negative techniques discussed above: they may exhibit a boss spirit, use force, and refuse to delegate because they don’t trust anyone else. They centralize all activity with themselves and become the hub of all power and decisions, micromanaging the activities of their organization, family, ministry, or nation. People who equate such domination with authority may grow to mistrust any parameters others try to put on them or their actions.




Genuine authority doesn’t control but releases people to exercise their own authority. A true leader feels no need to dominate others but immediately shares his authority with them. He wants to delegate authority and encourage others to develop their own abilities.




A Person Who Functions as a Dictator or Tyrant




Some people think that a person who wields absolute power is in a place of authority. The very nature of a dictator cancels authority, however, because true authority does not demand unconditional rule over others.




A dictatorship incorporates the domination approach, to a great extent. It does not allow freedom of expression or permit people to explore ideas and fully partake of opportunities for personal and professional growth—in essence, they are denied the ability to be fully human. People may confuse dictatorship with authority if they have lived under an oppressive system for a period of time so that it has become familiar, even though repressive.




A dictator and a tyrant are similar in that instead of exhibiting true authority, they are authoritarian. One of the meanings of authoritarian is “of, relating to, or favoring blind submission to authority.” Someone with an authoritarian approach demands unquestioned obedience from others. The tyrant spirit is one of ultimate corrupt power that wants others to submit without thought or question. A tyrant is not only a usurper of power, but he also especially wields power for his own personal gain and security.




Again, the very nature of dictatorship and tyranny cancels genuine authority. Any perceived submission that is a result of force or threat is not real submission but surrender. Wherever there’s true authority, there will be true submission—which, as we will see in a later series, is a voluntary act and part of the inherently interdependent nature of authority. Surrender is in stark contrast to this and is always a result of manipulation and fear.




When people are so fearful of another person that they are afraid to do what they actually desire to do because that person has “authority,” they are functioning under a dictatorship. That is not authority; it is intimidation. True authority allows people to express themselves and to develop to the full extent of their potential. It doesn’t restrict but provides instruction, advice, or counsel to build others up. The opposite of a tyrant is someone who seeks the good of others, not his own gain, and even makes personal sacrifices on their behalf.




A Person Who Has a Title




Some people think that because a person has a title, authority automatically accompanies it. We tend to respect and honor people who have titles that seem to elevate them. In this way we confuse labels with legitimacy. It does not necessarily follow that a person with a title is exercising authority. For example, a person may connive, manipulate a system, or even kill to obtain a certain title or role. This person’s rule is unauthorized. Only genuine authority makes rule or power legal.




A true leader may have a title, but he does not operate from the title. He operates from his inner authority, and people respond to his natural authority rather than to his label.




A Person Who Is Loud or “Larger than Life”




At times, people automatically attribute authority to someone who speaks the loudest or appears “larger than life.” This aspect of false authority has to do with a person’s personality—he or she may come across as strong, opinionated, overbearing, charismatic, articulate and persuasive, threatening, or obnoxious. Yet, just because a person or even a group speaks the loudest or the most forcefully doesn’t necessarily mean they have legitimate authority over others. Many people are intimidated by such individuals and therefore succumb to them. They allow them to make decisions and to cause everyone connected with them to move in a certain direction, which may or may not be healthy.




In contrast, I have noticed that true authority is often quiet or even silent. It takes greater natural authority to lower your volume and still be effective. Often, the greater the true authority that is present, the quieter the atmosphere. You know you have effective authority when you say nothing or are very quiet, and people respond positively to you and your influence.




I taught junior high school for five years, and I learned early on that if I had to shout at my students to maintain order, I had no real authority. So, I quickly established boundaries and communicated the values on which my classroom would be run, making it clear on the board and on signs posted around the room what the laws of the learning environment would be. I had been authorized by the school to teach the students, so my authority in that situation was legitimate, but then I had to create the context for that authority. Once the students understood my standards and values, they knew they would have to submit to them if they wanted a good relationship with me. The students responded well and respected my authority, and so there was a good environment for learning.




A similar principle can be seen in many effective leaders of countries, companies, and even families. The measure of their authority is what happens in the midst of their silence—or even their absence. For instance, if a mother goes on an errand, leaving an older child to oversee the household, the measure of her true authority will be reflected in how that older child responds during her absence. Does he run wild through the house, or does he make sure his younger siblings are taken care of? If the household is at peace when the mother returns, the children have respected her authority even when she was out of sight. Or, suppose you are in a meeting at your workplace at which fifteen people are present but not the president of the company. Perhaps there is confusion about what should be done regarding a certain matter or who should do it. Then, the president walks in and sits in the back, and the whole discussion and environment change as people calm down and begin to make constructive suggestions. That is an example of silent authority that is put into motion just by one’s presence.




Yahusha of Nazareth had this inherent authority. Once, when the religious leaders of His day wanted to trap Him, they brought to Him a woman who had been caught in adultery to see if He would agree that she should be stoned to death, which was the punishment according to the law. He responded with silence, while they kept demanding an answer. Then, He quietly asked them one question, which decisively defeated them, and they went away. That’s authority.




They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Yahusha bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Yahusha was left, with the woman still standing there. Yahusha straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Yahusha declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:6–11)




Yahusha was later dragged before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, and was falsely accused. He didn’t say a word in response. His silence unnerved Pilate. It’s interesting that Pilate’s response was to threaten Yahusha with authority, telling Him that he had the authority to release Him or to kill Him. Yahusha told him, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11 nasb). Yahusha was operating under an authority that was higher than the Roman government’s, and even Pilate had to submit to that authority, whether he was aware of it or not.




Confidence or composure, such as Yahusha demonstrated, comes from a sense of true authority. Authority creates its own confidence. A person with true authority doesn’t have to flaunt it; it sells itself. Likewise, when a person has legitimate authority, he doesn’t have to use force or volume to demand that he be heard. People will listen to true authority, whether they agree with it or not. The religious leaders of Yahusha’ day kept questioning His authority because they wanted to undermine Him. Yet many of the people responded to Him. “The crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law” (Matthew 7:28–29).




What Authority Is Not




The accepted concepts of authority listed above have nothing to do with real authority, yet the problem is that the majority of the world’s population believes that one or more of these ideas represents authority, and that is why we are experiencing an authority crisis. These false ideas are what many people think of when they hear this word because authority has been defined or modeled for them in distorted ways, and their experience of it has been oppressive, negative, stifling, and even deadly.




We must understand that authority is not... dominating others




overpowering others




dictating to others




oppressing others




mastering others




forcing people to do what you want them to do manipulating people to do what you want them to do controlling others




restricting others




tyrannizing others




subjecting other people to your will




To summarize, we often perceive authority as any person, party, or position that dominates, controls, or manipulates other people or situations, usually to that perceived authority’s

advantage. And all of us hate to be dominated, manipulated, and controlled!




Those who exhibit false authority not only hurt everyone around them but also stifle the true authority that is within themselves and that they could be offering to others. They are not operating in their proper authority and domain but in a false domain of abuse. While we naturally side with the victims of false authority, we must realize that both perpetrators and victims of erroneous perceptions of authority need to find and live in the freedom that comes only through true authority.




Results of the Misuse and Abuse of Authority




People react in different ways to the neglect, misuse, or abuse of authority, but our negative conceptions of and experiences with authority produce life- draining emotions and attitudes. Think about specific negative experiences in your life in which you have dealt with people in alleged authority or found yourself in circumstances that seemed to control you. Now, consider how you have reacted to them as you read through the following list of reactions people may have to false authority:




Fear: They are afraid of being ruled and controlled.

Intimidation/Timidity: They are unsettled by those who claim to have authority over them and may go along with their orders or suggestions only because they feel they have no choice.




Distrust/Caution: They keep themselves at arm’s length from others because they don’t want to be taken advantage of or have their lives run by someone else.




Suspicion: They are distrustful of those who want to be in charge, and so they steer clear of them.




Friction: Their relationships with those who are “in charge” are tense; they have difficulty finding common ground on which to connect with supervisors, teachers, parents, and colleagues.




Antagonism/Contentiousness/Defiance: They are disagreeable and belligerent in their interactions with others.




Defensiveness: They are easily offended and try to protect themselves from criticism.




Resentment: They develop a bitter spirit toward those whom they perceive as “management” or “executives.”




Protest: They object to suggestions, thinking, Nobody’s going to tell me what to do, so they immediately dispute any attempt to influence their lives.




Avoidance: Because of their negative experiences with authority, they avoid exercising initiative or taking supervisory roles themselves.




Threat: They feel in danger from and vulnerable to those who have power.




Stress/Anxiety/Worry/Dread: They experience distress when interacting with authority figures.




What a terrible way to live!




As a result of the misuse and abuse of authority, our world—especially the present generation—has an underlying current of distrust, disrespect, and fear of authority. Some people have come to even reject any semblance of authority. Others have come to believe that suppression and oppression are natural components of authority, or at least ones that are to be accepted, tolerated, or endured. These long-established concepts of authority and the behavior that results from them are the fundamental cause of many of the problems we face in the world today. They are essentially destroying people, preventing them from becoming all that they were born to be.




Even though we can understand and sympathize with the above reactions and emotions, they are not healthy, and they will do nothing toward helping us to exercise our own inherent personal authority.




The Beautiful Principle




The negative experiences we’ve had with authority inevitably have an effect on our fulfillment and effectiveness in life. Therefore, let’s leave behind our prior misconceptions of authority and move past our reactions to the misuse and abuse of authority and instead discover the nature and principles of true authority.




I like to call authority the “beautiful principle” because it’s not about “lording it over” others. It’s about making smooth paths for people. It’s a means of providing the resources, protection, refreshment, enlightenment, growth, happiness, fulfillment, satisfaction, and contentment we all need.

In the next teaching, we will explore the nature of true authority, and what this nature is based on.