A classic television ad from the 1970s and 1980s said, “When EF Hutton talks, everybody listens.” The ads were always in a room full of people talking, and someone would say, “EF Hutton,” and then everybody froze with their hand behind their ear. That reminds me of Jesus speaking in Luke 4:32, “and they were amazed at His teaching, for His message was with authority.” The authority of Jesus was not because of the volume that He spoke, the tone, or even the content, but it was supernatural; when He spoke, people listened. I believe that God gives that same authority to some people; if they talk, people listen. As a teacher and preacher of God’s Word, I want that authority that comes from God. My motive is not to control people but to influence them to believe in the Bible and Jesus Christ, and they will live their lives in a way that pleases God. When I am in the midst of a difficult situation with people, I want to speak with authority so that the result is unity, love, and peace. God’s authority is earned from God. God’s authority is given to people who have years of faithfulness to Him and to the basic disciplines of the Christian life. It is lost in a few minutes of unfaithfulness, rudeness, careless speaking, and pride. A person who oozed God’s authority was Billy Graham; when he spoke, people listened. Over the years, I have been influenced by people with God’s authority; they gripped my soul when they spoke. God’s authority is probably on a sliding scale, some have a little and a few have a lot. Whenever I speak I ask for God to speak through me and to give me His authority afresh. I trust by faith that He has given it to me as I speak, and I am cautious not to do or say anything that would cause me to lose it. This is a fourth principle for me as I tackle challenging relational situations. Most people can’t rely on this principle in ther life because they have not yet earned it from God or they have lost it because of undisciplined living. It is worth pursuing. If you find yourself not being listened to much, don’t try and make it happen by volume, anger or other worldly methods, but instead pursue faithfulness to God, godly living, and faithfulness to the basic disciplines of the Christian life. He gives His authority to those who have earned it.