Don’t Throw Your Weight Around

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 2:6-7 (NRSV)

. . . nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children.

Devotion

Have you ever had a boss who liked to throw their weight around? Sometimes a person in authority becomes overly impressed with their power over people. They don’t exercise authority appropriately or humbly. On the contrary, they get puffed up with pride and make sure that others know just how important and mighty they are. I’m grateful to say that I’ve never had a boss like that. But, over the years, I have known people who have had such a boss. Their stories of their boss’s antics are anything but encouraging.

When the Apostle Paul and his colleagues came to Thessalonica, they could have chosen to throw their weight around. They didn’t have political authority, of course. But they did have extraordinary spiritual authority as people who had been called by God into the ministry of the gospel. You may recall that in 1 Thessalonians 2:4 the writers said that they “have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel.” Someone with divine approval might try to show off, displaying their superlative spiritual authority. (These days, it’s way too common to read news stories of pastors who fall into this very trap, to the detriment of their churches and the people entrusted to their care.)

But Paul and his co-workers did not try to impress with their spiritual prowess. In the first part of verse 7, they write, “though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ” (1:7). That English translation gets the sense of the Greek but misses a linguistic irony. If you were to translate that part of verse seven literally from the Greek, you’d get: “being able to be in heaviness as apostles of Christ.” A more literal translation of the Greek is found in the Common English Bible: “We didn’t ask for special treatment from people—not from you or from others— although we could have thrown our weight around as Christ’s apostles” (2:6-7, CEB).

Why didn’t Paul and his associates use their authority in an overbearing and self-serving way? In part, this may have been a strategic move. They may have realized that as Jewish outsiders in Thessalonica, their particular brand of spiritual authority would not have been impressive to a largely pagan audience. A more respectful and humble approach would have born greater fruit for the gospel. But, beyond strategy, Paul and Co. knew they were representatives of Jesus Christ. Though Jesus had no problem exercising his authority when necessary, as when he was confronting a demon, for example, Jesus said he came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45). Jesus, in his life and death, modeled servant leadership that bore no resemblance to throwing one’s weight around (see Phil 2:5-11).

Those of us who have been entrusted with authority, whether at work or at home, whether in church or in government, whether in the classroom or on the soccer field, should not hold back from using our authority for good. There are times when we ought to give clear direction so the people and organizations over whom we have charge might flourish. But we must refrain from using our authority so as to bring glory to ourselves. Rather, we must seek to serve those who have been entrusted to our care and the organizations over which we are stewards.

What we read in 1 Thessalonians reminds me of Jim Collins’s description of the Level 5 leader. In his book Good to Great, Collins writes: “Level 5 leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company. It’s not that Level 5 leaders have no ego or self-interest. Indeed, they are incredibly ambitious—but their ambition is first and foremost for the institution, not themselves.” Level 5 Leaders don’t need to show off their authority. Their egos are not sustained by being more powerful and glorious than others. Rather, they use their authority to build up others. They find joy in the growth of both the individuals and the organization that they lead.

The example of Paul and his colleagues in 1 Thessalonians encourages us to look at our own exercise of leadership. When we have been entrusted with authority, are we trying to impress those around us with our power? Are we exercising authority mainly because it makes us feel good about ourselves? Or are we choosing instead the path of Jesus, the way of servant leadership?

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the High Calling archive, hosted by the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Your Faithful Work Matters to God

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