Leaders: You Don’t Have to Be in the Room for God to Be in Charge

For those of you/us who grew up in church, you might be familiar with the centurion’s story.  The story comes from Matthew 8:5–13 (also in Luke 7:1–10). It’s one of those passages that keeps pressing on my heart lately, especially when I think about leadership.

In a nutshell, Jesus is amazed not by position, charisma, or résumé, but by faith that understands authority.

I drive a Tesla in Miami, but I’m not ready to take my hands off the wheel and fully trust it yet.. Read the article and you'll make the connection.

The centurion recognizes something leaders often miss: authority doesn’t come from being everywhere or controlling every outcome. Authority comes from alignment. In the centurion's case, he understands authority because he lives under it. I say go, and they go. So when he looks at Jesus, he knows, Jesus, if you say it, it happens.

That realization should shape how I think about my own life and leadership. It doesn’t always, but it should. I don’t have to force outcomes to prove I’m in charge. I just need to stay aligned with the One who actually holds authority. Please read that sentence again.

So I'm praying this week that I will come back to these five ideas, or principles, if you will. These are not so much a formula, just principles I've picked up that, I hope, add value to your life and leadership. Here they are:

1. I don’t have to be present everywhere to make something meaningful happen. Authority isn’t about proximity; it’s about alignment. God can work beyond my reach. Do you believe God can get it done even if you're not there?

   
   

2. My strongest leadership move is trust. Trusting God’s word to do what my effort, control, or pressure never could. Yea, that one is tough for me. Are you willing to be willing to lean that way this next season?

   
   

3. Leadership isn’t about worthiness; it’s about humility. The centurion doesn’t claim he deserves Jesus’ attention, he simply believes Jesus has authority. Do you believe that Jesus has the authority? It's a simple YES or NO question?

   
   

4. I can lead while admitting my limits. Believing Jesus is good frees me from pretending I’m sufficient on my own. Again, it should. We need to lean into this principle. Pray over it. Ask God for this kind of strength.

   
   

5. I can ask God to redeem what I’ve mishandled, and expect Him to work anyway. Even when I know I contributed to the problem, God is still able to speak healing and order. He is, after all, the God of second chances. God, help me to learn and grow and get better as a leader out of that mistake.

So, this passage keeps calling me back to a quieter, sturdier kind of faith. Love that word. Sturdy. A sturdy faith expects God to act, releases control over how God will act

, and believes that when God speaks, His word carries authority over my home, my leadership, and my future.

Praying this posture over your life and leadership as well. Peace & love to you all.

~ Paul