When granted power, any sort, be careful what you do with it.
The “power” you have may be political, or it may involve your neighborhood, some committee you are on, or your family, and, how you handle the power afforded you is the ultimate measure of who and what you are, it’s a very fine measure of your “spirituality.”
It says it all – right there – in how you treat the poor, the disenfranchised, those, who for whatever reason, even if it’s their “own fault” that have no power in your presence.
Who and how you hire or fire, include or exclude, is very important.
Pad your own nest at the expense of others, use your power to the detriment of others, to lord it over others, and, well, you’re demonstrating your lack of integrity and setting yourself up for a mighty fall.
A broad sweep of Scripture quickly reveals God’s views on the misuse of power.
It is not pretty.
You may have noticed, God seems always on the side of the underdog.
Was there ever one as powerless as the woman caught in adultery?
We know how that set-up, that power-play ended. The self-righteous men, educated as they were, as “right” as they were, got Jesus’ back up, found themselves backing up and backing out, tails between their legs. They quickly learned – or did they? – that Jesus really is more interested in being loving than in being right even though he was both.
I’ve seen horrible misuses of power and done it myself.
And, it is so often done in the name of doing what’s right and good and holy, when it really is an expression of holier-than-thou nonsense or a scam for taking advantage of others in the name of entitlement or self-importance.
Power, even temporary power – and it always is temporary, is very important.
Handle with prayer, care, and humility.
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