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Moral Authority – Part 2

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
Proverbs 4:23

The nameplate on your office door may prompt people to lend you their hands, but only your moral authority will inspire them to give you their hearts. Moral authority is established when it becomes clear to all that progress, financial reward and recognition are not your gods; that you value something more, something you refuse to sacrifice on the altar of profit or popularity. With moral authority comes influence. Without moral authority you can manage people but you can’t influence them. Wake up! Talking one way and living another “wounds” you, and depending on time and circumstance, you may or may not recover from it. You can tell yourself that how you conduct your private life is nobody’s business, but if there’s a perceived difference between what you demand of others and what you do yourself, it’ll erode people’s respect for you. While your position may make you secure, your influence and moral authority will always remain fragile. At any given time, you’re only one decision, one word, one reaction away from destroying what took years to build. “Why is it important to know this?” you ask. Because the fastest route from where you are today to where you’d like to be tomorrow isn’t always the most honorable one. Leading and being the person you want to be, don’t always line up. It’s in those moments, however, that you discover a great deal about yourself - you find out what you value most!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to do what is right and avoid what is wrong. Thank you for your grace and forgiveness when I fail, and your faithfulness to always give me a “new day” to start over. In Jesus’ Name, Amen