“So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD call David's enemies to account." And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.” – 1 Samuel 20:16-17
Beyond the stories of great friendship and loyalty, I am once again reminded of the impact of Moral Authority. It’s an influence that cannot be maintained once character or integrity is questioned. When trust is gone, influence is gone.
I have an amazing network of Godly men who I study scripture with and we email our thoughts to each other daily. Today, one of my guys in Denver made this comment referencing Jonathan’s loyalty changing from his dad (Saul) to David, “The loyalty that was secure evaporated as Jonathan realized the true nature of the man he had put his trust into. At this moment he was able to contrast his father’s character with that of David, and his loyalty shifted. Shifted away from power and an eventual crown to a man after God’s heart. “
Saul had lost his Moral Authority over his own son. What a sad moment for a father.
Just yesterday a church planting pastor friend of mine shared what could have been a tough conversation with one of his staff. He was in a fragile place because he simply loves the guy and doesn’t want to lose him, what he brings to the table is amazing, but there are a few things he’s doing that aren’t cutting it (unrelated to his skill). Everyone involved knows he’s under paid, all the conditions were set for him to easily reject any rebuke and just walk away. So there was a fear in the conversation.
But my friend has moral authority in this guy’s life. His staff guy knows he cares for HIM as much as anything. He knows his heart for the church and the right things. And he humbly received all that his pastor proposed. It was a great example of the power of moral authority and influence.
It’s amazing the things you can accomplish as a leader when someone knows your heart to be good. It’s almost as amazing as the power loss when they suspect it to be corrupt.
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Poor yet Generous
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I have found a lot of truth to this in coaching and teaching. The one thing kids don't want either on the field or in the classroom is being lied to. Sooner or later they realize what you are telling them is not true. If they arn't good or if they arn't as smart as others, you shouldn't lie to them and tell them they are. When you are truthful in a loving way, you can tell a person the truth and not get hammered if it hurts. When you lie to avoid a confrentation, you run the risk of loosing the person. It all comes down to living a life of love. It is hard to do but, in the end it is worth it.
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