Abuse of Power

Readings for today: Proverbs 21-24

Several years ago, I spent time with a brilliant leader who worked for the United Nations. He was an indigenous leader in a war-torn country with masters degrees in three different disciplines and the UN had tapped him to help lead their relief efforts in country. He took me out to an internally displaced people’s camp (IDP) to show me the depth of suffering his people were experiencing. They were starving for lack of food. They were dying from preventable disease. They were living in unsanitary conditions. I asked him why the UN allowed such things. He told me it all had to do with power. The particular tribal identity of the people in the IDP camp was associated with the central government which meant they were part of the “oppressor” class. As a result, the UN cut their rations and refused to provide the care and support they needed to survive. Meanwhile, the tribal group who initiated the war and started the rebellion and caused much of the suffering was considered to be part of the “oppressed” class. It didn’t matter that their particular tribe had ruled the country with an iron fist for decades. They had been voted out of power in legitimate elections and therefore were now “oppressed” so they got the bulk of support. When I asked why the UN would take such an approach, the indigenous leader pointed out that as long as conflict continued in his country, the UN could exercise power and control. If peace ever truly broke out, there would be no need for the UN any longer so it actually was in their best interest to fan the flames of tribal enmity. I was stunned at his insight. It was one of the most educational experiences of my life.

Human beings have this innate tendency to abuse power. Evidence abounds from the draconian enforcement of home owner’s associations to the oppressive regulations of local agencies to the social engineering often attempted by legislators at regional and national levels. No matter where you live in the world today, human beings use power to exercise control over those around them. And this is nothing new. Consider what Solomon says in the Book of Proverbs today, “Don’t move an ancient boundary marker, and don’t encroach on the fields of the fatherless, for their Redeemer is strong, and he will champion their cause against you.” (Proverbs‬ ‭23‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭CSB) The powerful will always attempt to take from the powerless. Ancient boundary markers in Israel marked out the inherited territory between the different tribes and even though these boundaries were established by God Himself, it didn’t stop the Israelites from trying to accumulate more territory. Especially from those who may be poor, weak, and unable to defend themselves. But Solomon reminds us that God is always watching and He defends the cause of the powerless. He takes up the cause of those who cannot defend themselves and He will judge those who abuse their power.

All of us exercise some measure of influence and power in our lives. It may be in our homes. It may be in our communities. It may be in our work or at school. It may be in our church or some other social agency we’re part of. Maybe it’s even in government. God expects us to use our power to serve. To bless. To lift up those who cannot lift up themselves. It is not to be used to benefit ourselves nor are we to exercise power in a way that privileges one class of people over another. We must always remember that is the Redeemer of those He entrusts into our care and He will champion their cause.

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Kings 5-6, 2 Chronicles 2-3

Power

Readings for today: 2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Chronicles 20, Psalms 51

“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” - Lord Acton

He might as well have been talking about King David. David who had so much going for him. David whom God raised from a shepherd’s field to a palace. David who went from fighting off wild animals to protect his sheep to fighting giants to protect the people of Israel. David who killed his “ten thousands.” David who was the bane of the Philistines. David who seemingly could not lose a battle. David who was a man after God’s own heart. David who refused to kill the Lord’s anointed. David who trusted God on so many occasions. This same David was also subject to weakness. Vulnerable to temptation. And the higher he rose, the more precarious his position became. The more authority and power he accumulated, the more it went to his head. As the prophet Nathan’s story makes clear, what happened with David was not a moment of weakness. He didn’t just slip up. He didn’t just fall into sin. He believed he had every right to Bathsheba just as the rich man believed he had every right to the poor man’s lamb.

Human beings don’t handle power well. It corrupts us from the inside out. It twists our way of thinking. It perverts how we see those around us. It makes us feel entitled. It deadens our sense of right and wrong. We start to believe we know better than others because, deep down, we believe we are better than others. And because we are better than others, we deserve what we can get. Think of the politicians who have become incredibly wealthy as they’ve served our country. They believe, deep down, they deserve it. Think of those in the highest economic classes who commit egregious crimes or exploit those who work for them or who take advantage of unjust laws in other countries to grow their companies. They believe, deep down, they are above the law. Think of those who exercise great spiritual authority like pastors and priests who take advantage of those who are hurting and struggling. They believe, deep down, they are immune from any consequences. But God sees them. God judges them. God will hold them accountable just like He did King David.

How do we avoid falling into this trap? How do we resist the temptation to use whatever influence, power, or authority we have in our lives for ourselves? We give it away. We seek to serve rather than be served. We intentionally lay it down for the sake of others. This is the way of Jesus.

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 32, 86, 102, 103, 122

Power

Readings for today: Acts 1-4, Psalm 110

The promise of the Holy Spirit is the promise of power. Divine, supernatural power filling us so that we might be Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. It’s a good thing Jesus gives us His power because we couldn’t accomplish His mission without it. The stakes are too high. The challenges too great. The obstacles too daunting. The trials too hard. The suffering too painful. Whether you’re walking across the street to share Christ with a neighbor or you are at work sharing Christ with a co-worker or you’re headed across the world to share Christ with someone who’s never had access to the gospel before, it requires power to accomplish. God’s power not our own.

Every Christian I’ve talked to over the years wants this power. They want to experience the miraculous power of God in their life. They want to see the miraculous power of God on display. They want to feel the miraculous power of God within them. But for so many Christians, God’s power remains an abstract concept. An elusive idea. Something they acknowledge as possible but don’t expect to actually ever experience. Why is that? What is it that holds us back? What is it that keeps us from living and walking in God’s power as His followers? Simply put, we aren’t serious enough about God’s mission. God grants us His power not to use for ourselves. Not to use to enrich our own lives. Not to make us healthy and wealthy and wise. This is where the prosperity preachers have it all wrong. God’s power is not given to us so that we can spend it on ourselves. No, God gives us His power so that we might be His witnesses to a dead and dying world. He gives us His power so that we might serve His Kingdom purposes. He gives us His power so that we might spread the good news of the gospel.

Being a witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth requires risk. It requires us to take steps of faith. It requires us to sacrifice. When we do these things for the sake of God’s mission in the world, we see miraculous things take place. Hell is emptied and heaven is filled as people come to saving faith. The blind see. The deaf hear. The lame walk. The diseased are cured. The demon-possessed are set free. The dead are raised. I’ve seen all these things and more in my travels around the world as Christians put themselves at great risk in order to proclaim the gospel and plant churches where the name of Jesus has never been spoken or even heard. I’ve also seen some of these same things in my own home town as believers that I know and love take risks to share their faith, stand for the gospel, proclaim truth, and sacrifice in incredible ways to reach the lost and least resourced.

If you want God’s power in your life, there is only one way to get it. Get on mission for Jesus! Join Jesus on His mission to reach the lost and serve the least resourced. Intentionally go to places and meet people who need Jesus desperately. Take risks. Prayerfully sacrifice. Find ways to serve. Step out in faith. God will meet you there in a powerful way and you will experience Him in ways you never thought possible.

Readings for tomorrow: Acts 5-8