Rest Stop 38
3 Reports from Kenya

Week 39, Day 1 - Power

"When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi" - Matthew 2:16.

In today's verse, Herod was old, but was not happy to hear a king had been born in his kingdom, a king Herod did not endorse or appoint. Therefore, he set out to restore order in his kingdom by ordering the execution of any male child in his region in order to wipe out his competition to the throne. Rome had appointed Herod and he had plans for his sons to succeed him, not this child about whom the Magi had told him. The hallmark of an authoritarian leader is anger. They believe they own what they lead (sometimes they do) and anyone who does anything to harm or damage what is theirs brings an eruption of emotion. This anger is how they control people and get them to do what the angry leader wants.

LEADERSHIP STEP: Your Step today is to examine the role anger plays in your leadership style and position. Are you known for your outbursts of anger, disgust, or sarcasm? How do you act when you become angry? Do you speak angry words or show your anger in some other way? Reflect on why you become so agitated when people don't do what you want or expect. Remember, God appointed you, and you don't own your position; you are simply a steward.

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