"In order to grow we must learn to let go and allow others to lead."

Day 82

Matthew 10:1-4 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

One noticeable point to bring out right away in this passage is the change in reference to these twelve men. When Jesus called them to Him, they were referred to as disciples; however, once He sent them out, they were apostles. As I have mentioned before, disciples are ones who follow, and apostles are those who are sent out with a purpose. Why does this matter, you ask? Why the change in reference to these twelve? The implications of being empowered and sent out by God to do a work are far reaching and much more complicated than we can cover in a morning devotional.

There have been many books written on the subject, and I dare say there are many more to come, should the Lord tarry. However, for us today, it would be beneficial for all of us to note the change in authority, power, and responsibility. When Jesus called the twelve to Him, the first thing He did was give them the authority; the one tool they needed above all others to complete the task at hand. They had, up to now, never used these tools but rather had only seen them in action at the hand of Jesus. Even though they had never practiced the use of such great authority, Jesus entrusted them to go and do His bidding, to expand the kingdom, and to display, for the first time, the power of a common man over the demonic realm once He has been given power and authority.

It amazes me how often leaders hang onto authority as if it were a one-time perishable gift when, in reality, it is a non-exhaustive empowering gift capable of changing the world. We, as leaders, tend to be afraid to empower followers. We ask ourselves questions like: "What if they do it differently than I would?" "What if they make a mistake?" "Will I have to go clean up their mess?" Yet, with the time we spend searching the ‘what ifs’ and running scenarios, we could, in reality, be expanding the work we have been called to. Instead, we allow fear, pride, or control to inhibit the work, and we struggle with the load we carry rather than distributing the load to others. Jesus sets for us a great example: He taught by His example how to use the tools He was going to give the disciples and then turned them loose. He even empowered the one who would soon betray Him! We would all do well to learn how to lead by example, empower and equip those who serve with us, and then turn them loose to try it out for themselves. Will it be perfect? Of course not; however, if we continue to teach them and allow them to make mistakes, just like our children, they will learn, and our load will be lightened while the ministry will be expanded. The challenge is can you live without the credit?

Daily Prayer: Father, teach me to let go, give me the peace to trust those you have entrusted to me, and to allow them to learn just as I did. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

"In order to grow we must learn to let go and allow others to lead."

Pastor Gene Burroughs