As I mentioned in here, I’m reading Maggi Dawn’s book, Giving it Up: Daily Bible Readings from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day as a devotional guide during Lent.
In reflecting on the third and final temptation of Jesus in the wilderness in Matthew 4:8-11, she writes:
Misusing power to take control is a temptation that comes to all of us in some way or another. Not everyone wants to rule the world but most people at least want to control their own little world … when the human desire for control is mixed with belief in a God of unlimited power, the temptation to abuse power can hit overdrive.
The evidence of God’s power in our lives is shown not through controlling other people but through using the power we have to serve others.
As a leader in our local church, I see various opportunities to “control” through inappropriate uses of power. Following Jesus’ example means overcoming this temptation by choosing the right use of power – the kind that equips and empowers others as a service to God.
Our community is currently in a season of transition. We are renovating an old furniture warehouse to be used for ministry space, doing most of the construction work ourselves. As this process caries on (seven months now), I feel pressure to employ a little of what Maggi calls “benign bullying” to get the work done faster. And while I genuinely wish more people would volunteer and help finish the work faster, I struggle with how to lead through this. I want to use the “power” God has given in the context of our church boldly and authentically, and yet always for the benefit of others, never manipulating toward a self-serving end. So, I find myself praying for the strength of the same Spirit that led Jesus through this test — that I may not seek to control the situation by an inappropriate use of power.
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