[This is my second post of ten in my “Vintage Wednesday” series on “Leadership Authority,” re-written/updated from a blogpost back in May of 2011.]

Here is the second of Watchman Nee’s Ten Commandments of Spiritual Authority: 

2. God’s delegated authority does not belong to the person exercising it—that person is just a channel.

One of my favorite communicators is Andy Stanley; he typically creates a one-liner that captures the essence of his message. One I remember from years ago is, “Leadership is a stewardship, it is temporary, and you’re accountable.” He was expounding on a passage repeated four times in the book of Daniel (4:17, 4:25, 4:32, 5:21) that essentially states: “The Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.” 

My leadership is a stewardship, it is temporary, and I am accountable. It's on me to be a good steward of my authority, to lead for maximum impact, and live responsibly before God. I am simply a channel of God's authority to those under me. King Nebuchadnezzar had this point made to him three times, his successor—Belshazzar—only once. 

Nebuchadnezzar learned to steward his leadership the hard way. He was sent out into the wild to live like an animal until he:

1. Acknowledged that Heaven rules.
2. Renounced his sins by doing what was right.
3. Renounced his wickedness by being kind to the oppressed.
4. Acknowledged that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.

We read that Nebuchadnezzar finally “got it”…praising, exalting, and glorifying the King of heaven! The later king—Belshazzar—treated his predecessor’s most important life lesson with contempt and lost everything including his life.