Do you find yourself withholding benevolence for your team when it is within your power to give it? (191-3)

Compassionate use of power and influence characterize God-honoring leaders. Read Matthew 8:5-13.

Jesus was becoming well known throughout Israel for His power to heal every sort of physical infirmity and illness. Even the occupying army of Rome could not avoid hearing of Jesus’ authority over powers that caused sickness. As Jesus entered Capernaum, a city which housed a Roman garrison, an officer sought out Jesus to ask Him to heal a household servant that had become paralyzed and who was living in terrible pain. When Jesus agreed to go with the solider to heal his servant, the man simply stated that he was not worthy to have Jesus to his house, but if Jesus simply spoke a command, the servant would be healed. He believed that Jesus had power and authority over every aspect of life and could command sickness to leave his servant and the spirit holding the servant in bondage would have to obey. This story clearly demonstrated a healthy use of power by both the Roman solider and Jesus.

A Roman legion consisted of 6,000 troops and was divided into 60 “centuries,” each containing 100 men. The officer who approached Jesus was called a Centurion meaning that he was a commander of 100 men. The centurions were key leaders who were responsible for oversight, training, discipline, and readiness of their 100 man strike force. For the most part these Roman centurions did not spend any time worrying about a household slave; they were considered mere property, and an expendable commodity. By doing everything in his power to help a slave, including humbling himself to speak with a Jewish man with supposed power to heal, this soldier demonstrated compassion and a God-honoring use of his power and influence.

Jesus, who during His first time on earth was charged to use His power for the benefit of the Jewish people, also showed compassion when He used His power to heal the slave of a non-Jew who just happened to be an officer in the army of an occupying force.

Do you find yourself withholding benevolence for your team when it is within your power to give it? Are you using your influence to make your position “look” more powerful and give you more authority? Compassionate use of power is one of the consistent habits of leaders who want to honor God and be successful in the eyes of their team.