Empowerment

I like to believe that I am a manager that empowers the people around me, in all directions.  I may not always succeed, but I know that I respond well to those that take up the challenge!  It is exciting to see someone grow as they exercise their judgment, work as part of a team, and demonstrate leadership.  It is rewarding to see their confidence build as the realize results.  Empowerment is a powerful process.
When I look at the process of how people successfully view empowerment, I find three attributes they share in common.
First, they recognize the opportunity.  They may not ask, but they see.  They may not be looking, but they accept.  They may not even imagine the possibility, but they recognize the opportunity when it arrives.
Second, they act.  They do not always get it right, but they learn and grown.  They may go in directions others did not anticipate because they are doing the stuff!
Third, they preserve.  When others doubt their abilities, they press on.  When the results and reactions of others tell them they are not perfect, they seize the opportunity to learn.  Even when “they stood Peter and John in the middle of the room and grilled them: 'Who put you in charge here?'”  (Acts 4.6)  They kept right on going.
It may seem odd to believe, but God has empowered you and me.  We are ambassadors of mercy.  We are soldiers of compassion.  We are models of an accepting community.  We are empowered for all this and more!  The question is one of recognition, acting, and persevering. 
I do not always succeed in trying to empower others.  For whatever reasons, it just does not happen.  For some, the opportunity is there for a time and then it moves on.  I often think it is like that with God, however God has a different view.  The opportunity is always with us.  The window repeatedly opens itself up for us to see, act, and keep on acting.  It will never be easy, but it is a calling from God.