Seeking Wisdom without Authority

Jesus is my only spiritual authority.

In my most recent Substack newsletter, I explored how we don’t need to be under others’ authority to glean from their perspectives.

So, what does it look like to learn from others while keeping Jesus as our authority? In today’s post, I offer some of the strategies I use for seeking spiritual wisdom without turning thought leaders into my authorities.

Seek voices from a variety of theological perspectives and educational backgrounds.

I read books and follow social media accounts by people who think very differently about God and the Bible than I do. Why? Because in only listening to people who believe exactly as we already do, we lose the ability to learn from different perspectives. We can also easily turn a single voice or theological camp into the end-all-be-all rather than doing the deep work to consider what we actually believe on specific issues.

Ignoring other schools of thought can also make us forget that no single denomination, church, or leader has all the right answers. In viewing one voice or theological camp as the expert, we’re living as disciples of that leader or denomination rather than of Jesus.

Elevate wisdom from leaders displaying humility and compassion.

The number of leaders who act like bullies in Jesus’ name has become increasingly popular in American Christianity. And yet, Jesus came with humility and the heart of a lowly servant. Yes, he called out religious leaders for their hypocrisy and corruption. However, he never bullied the weak or further ostracized the marginalized. Jesus’ anger was reserved for people with power who used their power to harm those with less status.

So, when I look for voices to teach me more about Jesus, I aim to learn from individuals who display compassion, who stand up for people on the margins, who don’t demean others to increase their own influence. In essence, I want to learn about Jesus from people who display his character.

Be encouraged that appreciation does not mean total agreement.

It’s okay to appreciate an author’s thoughts or theological perspective in some areas and not agree with everything they have to say. In fact, I’m not sure there are any authors, theologians, or faith-based content creators I align with completely. However, I can still appreciate the work they do and the unique angles they bring to the table.

Ultimately, all voices are human. While they can absolutely offer valuable perspective and spiritual wisdom, it’s possible to respect someone’s authority on a subject they’ve studied and not be under their authority to learn from that wisdom.