Colossians 4:1 Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.
Authority: Stewardship and Responsibility
When I was 13, I kept waiting for my growth spurt to occur. People told me that when I was 14 I would probably grow a couple of inches. I waited, and it never quite happened. Then it was supposed to happen at 15, 16, 17 and so on. Today, I’m a full grown man who really never grew to the height he had anticipated. Maybe that’s the way you feel about the growth of your authority. When you’re 13 you long for the day when you will be the boss and call the shots. You think that will happen at 18, and it doesn’t. And then you think it will happen at 21, and it doesn’t. Now, someone else is still calling the shots. They are telling you when to show up, what to put out, when to hang it up, when to go home, and you are thinking, “Will I ever be in charge?” No one who is not under authority has authority.
In Colossians 3, the Bible uses the words “submit” and “obey” when it is talking about wives, children, and servants. Maybe you think that you should be in charge. Well, Colossians 4:1 says, “Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.” The Bible tells us in the previous verse that there is no respect of persons with God. No one is going to buy or bribe God’s favor, nor will they bribe or beg for authority from God. There is no respect of persons.
Your responsibility to your children or to your subordinates at work is framed by your responsibility to God. “Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.” No one who is not under authority has authority. You show me someone who thinks that they do not answer to some authority, and I’ll show you a person who is a menace. Whether you are a child or a father, a preacher or a layperson, each one of us in under authority and honors God with a spirit of submission.
While the text here does not speak of it, there are many other places in the Bible that are very clear about the fact that all of us have human authority. There is but one Authority in this universe and that is God. Thus, all authority, whether it is a President, a preacher, or a father is delegated authority. When I cut myself off from those who are in authority over me, I cut myself off from power to lead those who come behind me under my authority. The bottom line is that authority is nothing more than a stewardship and nothing less than a responsibility. If I have authority, it is a stewardship that belongs to God and is entrusted to me. If I have authority, it is a responsibility to which I will answer to my authority, God Almighty.