I have been thinking recently about the idea of “power” in the church and have been very challenged as I have thought through the fact that many of us have power in one way or another. For myself, as a mum, a Pastor’s wife, a deacon, a leader of a Bible study group, it is clear there are levels of power I hold in life. Further afield from that, have you ever thought about the fact that as someone with a respected job, someone with an income, a homeowner maybe, someone who has friends, someone with dependents (whether children or aging parents), someone on the PTA at school, someone with a car, or many other possibilities, you too will hold some level of power, whether inside of outside of the church?

Having power, is not really something I like to think I have. Maybe it makes you a little uncomfortable too to think of yourself as a person with power!

However, we must recognise that if we have power of any kind, then it is a God given power, a gift given to us by our heavenly Father, who gives good gifts to his children. As we bear that in mind, here are some things I have been considering about how we should best use any power we have been given by God:

Humbly

Let us choose to follow Jesus’ humble and perfect example. Philippians 2:8 talks about Jesus choosing to humble himself. There may be times when we need to be open and willing to humble ourselves before others; rather than raising ourselves up, choosing the task no-one else wants; giving others the praise, instead of grabbing for recognition we feel like we deserve.

Lovingly

Let’s desire and pursue love for Christ first and foremost, which should flow into love for others. Here are two sentences I appreciated from a book I read recently (Redeeming Power by Diane Langberg): “We who are Christ followers are to follow hard after love” (p180) and “Jesus’s master ambition was to please the Father.” (p181). Let’s choose to use the power we have by following hard after love, and by making it our primary ambition to please God the Father. In doing this, we will have opportunity to show the love we have received from God to others.

For the Good of the Vulnerable

Let’s be those who consider ways to raise up those who are often not raised up. Whether that is by hearing and recognising people’s needs when others haven’t, or by loving them, being kind and welcoming, by spotting and using their gifts when they may have been overlooked in the past.

Acknowledging that we have a position of power when there are others who do not is just the first step. Let’s pray that God can show us how best to use that power, not by abusing the power we have been given, but by using it humbly, with love, and for the good of the vulnerable. Funnily enough, God’s word puts this far better than I have. Why don’t we commit to spending some time meditating on these words from Philippians 3 as we think through this issue:

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”

What a beautiful church we would be if we got this right!