SEEK TO EMPOWER OTHERS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

“When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power ...and he sent them out.” Lk 9:1-2 NIV

Secure people seek to empower others. Jesus was a master at it. By empowering His disciples, He ensured that His mission on earth would continue to be accomplished long after He was gone. To empower means to fill with power. Power is energy. When we make a habit of empowering others, we energize them to reach their goals. Jesus practiced this principle: “The works that I do shall [you] do also” (Jn 14:12 KJV). There’s nothing more demoralizing than being kept out of the loop on information that impacts you. As difficult as it must have been to get His disciples to understand, Jesus knew He had to inform them of events to come that would affect them. “He said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be betrayed...He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead’” (Mk 9:31 NLT). Later He told them, “I am going there to prepare a place for you. And...I will come back and take you to be with me so that you also may be where I am” (Jn14:2-3 NIV). Empowerment occurs when you trust people with a task or responsibility without micromanaging them. Empowering is simply loosening the reins over how something is going to be done while retaining control over what should be done. Good leaders empower others. They know people perform better when they’re given the freedom to complete their jobs with some level of independence. When this happens, people “take ownership” of a project, job, or function, and things are completed with a better result. This is a win for everyone.