It is not good to abuse authority

I recall being a classmate to a senior government official who kept telling us about the amount of money they earned. The driver would bring her to class, wait for her and take her home after class, way past 9pm.

Still, I know a driver to a senior person at the county level who has no idea what his working hours are. Everyday after work, he takes his boss for a drink and will only go home after he has dropped the drunken boss at home, be it Monday or Sunday

That’s gross abuse of authority.

Abusing authority defeats the purpose for which God created it. Authority is needed so that structures are used to create order and peace in society. It creates systems of accountability too.

God’s heart bleeds when he sees people He has appointed mess up what would otherwise have been an ideal system. The worst form of abuse is that perpetrated by people who should spiritually be closer to Him — the clergy.

That is why I highly respect those churches which have Annual General Meetings where their audited accounts are read to members. This is the highest form of accountability.

God’s heart definitely bleeds when priests under whose care we entrust our young lads molest them.

The word of God also speaks against those masters who lord it over their subjects.

The word says those in authority should not rule with severity but instead revere God. I do not understand why a fellow human being should be made to undergo the suffering reported by maids who work in the Middle East.

Widows And Orphans

I listened to a chilling story of a maid who had been forced to wash the master’s python.

Even parents abuse authority. How many times have we heard of children killed or maimed by their own parents? A parent is supposed to be the authority in the home to steer his family to prosperity not damnation. Spouses who physically, emotionally and psychologically abuse their fellow spouses also cross the line in matters regarding authority.

God forbids any form of abuse that touches widows and children. And in Kenya sometimes authority may be in the form of a system that oppresses widows and orphans. For instance, though fading, the concept of wife inheritance invades a widow’s space and right to choice.

We should remember that we cannot do without authority. And again, not all of us can be in authority.

Therefore, if you are in a position of authority, put God first in all you do and it shall be well for both you and your subjects.