Authority and Responsibility
The LORD said to Aaron, “You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood. Numbers 18:1
When God gave authority to Aaron and his sons over the tabernacle, and the tribe of Levi authority to assist in all the worship of the Lord therein, he also gave responsibility, even to the point that a Levite who touched the sacred objects or altar would require both that person AND the high priest to die. Thats some pretty serious accountability. Authority and responsibility must always go together. We often like authority because that puts us in control, we get to do things the way we want to do them, but we often shirk responsibility because we don’t want to be held accountable for the decisions and actions of ourselves or those under our authority. As President Truman correctly said, “the buck stops here.” If God gives us more authority for things on this earth, we need to demonstrate our willingness to be responsible for that which God places under our authority. If someone under us fails, it isn’t just their responsibility, it is also our own for failing to properly train, equip, communicate with, set clear expectations and goals, or put people in the right position with the appropriate gifts and skills. Nine times out of ten, the system is the problem not the person, and we as the leader are responsible for the system.
Are there people whom God has given you authority over (officially or unofficially through your influence) who frustrate you, have failed you, or which you’ve felt, I am not responsible for this persons actions? Remember God (and perhaps others) are still holding you responsible, is it truly the person or is it a failure of the system, and if the system, what measures can you take to correct it to bring success?