May 25, 2011
A different kind of power…
My husband and I have been talking lately about how success, power, and influence in God’s system is so different than the systems we live under here on earth that it seems almost impossible for us to get it right. About 1 minute on any news website will clearly demonstrate several different types of power grabs that result in devastation and destruction. I read something today that so demonstrated the difference that I wondered if I should needlepoint it on a pillow (as if I would ever finish a project like that!) or tattoo it on some obvious part of my body so I don’t forget it.
“Realizing that each of us is vulnerable to the trappings of worldly power, Christ offers Christians an important example. When tempted in the wilderness, Jesus rejected Satan’s offers of worldly power, opting instead for the invisible yet everlasting power of God. And in a scene that many theologians consider to be the clearest display of Jesus’ divinity on earth, Christ forsook his right to worldly power to hang on a cross instead.
Does this mean that Christians should not be people of influence? No. But it does mean that there is a crucial difference between the power of God and the power of man. The power of God does not create hierarchy and injustice. It does not require the trodding over of the weak for the exaltation of self. It is not threatened by the strengths of others and it is not a zero sum game. In the kingdom of God there is no scarcity of blessing and freedom. And the power of God does not require the slavery and subordination of others.” Written by Sharon Hodde Miller; source: http://blog.christianitytoday.com/women/2011/05/schwarzenegger_strausskahn_and.html
That brought a Scripture to mind and it took a couple of tries before I found it:
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”Matthew 10:42 – 45
So that’s what’s on my mind – figuring out how to walk this out in a way that doesn’t get me eaten alive. How should we - collectively and individually – stand up to those who seek to exploit others for personal gain? And how do we resist the temptation to push our way to the top in the big and small ways at home, work, and in our other areas of life and influence? May God grant me the wisdom to see through the lure of “power” and to walk in a different way.
