Always Dependent – Galatians Part 7

Scripture: Galatians 4 (Link) Those heretical teachers go to great lengths to flatter you, but their motives are rotten. They want to shut you out of the free world of God’s grace so that you will always depend on them for approval and direction, making them feel important. (Galatians 4:17 MSG) The false teachers Paul references in Galatians 1 and 4 presented themselves as religious authorities and experts in both Judaism and Christianity. By appealing to the Gentile believers’ sincere desire to do what was right, they drew quite a following to themselves and claimed authority over those who were taken in by their teaching. Paul is very clear about the right and wrong use of authority. Proper use of authority is to help people grow, mature, and become personally responsible for right thinking and right actions. Wrong use of authority keeps people in bondage and makes them always dependent on someone else for approval and direction. Healthy people, under healthy leadership, learn to trust God and learn to be increasingly dependent on his wisdom, grace, and power. As they mature, they learn to be decreasingly dependent on the approval of others. They are committed to community and maintain accountability in relationships, but don’t surrender their privilege and responsibility to be led by God’s Spirit. Wrongly motivated leadership produces dependency and an unhealthy need for the leader’s approval. Rightly motivated leadership produces freedom, responsibility, and a healthy respect for the leader’s example. As parents, pastors, bosses, or leaders in any capacity, we must examine our leadership and we must make sure that we are helping those under our authority to grow, mature, become personally responsible, and enjoy the freedom of grace. Prayer: Father, Today I pray for all of us who are parents, bosses, or leaders and influencers in any capacity. Help us lead from right motives and may the fruit of our leadership be freedom, maturity, responsibility, and respect. May we lead those we influence to be increasingly dependent on you as they learn to trust you and decreasingly dependent on us as they mature. Amen.