About Power
“. . . your kingdom shall be re-established for you from the time that you learn that Heaven is sovereign. ”
God created the world. God made the creatures of the world, including human beings. God gave men and women dominion over the created world. People, especially those in positions of power, mistake dominion for domination. We abuse the responsibilities which are given to us.
Those of us who live in the shadow of our nation’s capital city are especially conscious of power, and of its abuse. Congregations filled with “type-A” personalities often suffer from power struggles.
Nebuchadnezzar was a ruler who had become “high and mighty.” His second dream, interpreted by Daniel, pictured his destruction. He would become insane, eating grass like an ox and living with the wild animals. After seven years he would come to his senses and recognize the sovereignty of God.
We are not like David, who mourned the death of Saul by saying, “How are the mighty fallen?” We often receive a certain pleasure in watching persons in power fall off their pedestals. We all “think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think.”
Daniel’s cure for Nebuchadnezzar would work for us. We need to mend our relationship with God. We also must express that right relationship in deeds of kindness and mercy to those around us.
For Reflection: How do I use my power?
A Prayer Seed:
I sing the mighty power of God that made the mountains rise;
That spread the flowing seas abroad and built the lofty skies.
Isaac Watts, 1715
