I have often heard it said that if you want to know what someone is like, give them power. Most people can't handle it. Some people do terrible things with it. The best leaders demonstrate the servant heart of Jesus, and the worst make decisions for selfish or vindictive reasons with little concern for how the lives of others will be impacted.
At some point in your life, it's very likely you're going to be entrusted with power. It may be on a small scale or on a large scale. When that day comes, what are you going to do with it?
And please keep in mind that for the believer in Christ, you've already been granted spiritual power that you're called to steward for the glory of Christ. Are you utilizing the spiritual power you've been granted to do that, or are you falling into the trap referenced in 2 Timothy 3:5 where it speaks of some people as "having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power."
In Proverbs 28, we're shown several broad categories where power can be utilized and applied. Some make great use of these opportunities and others don't. What will you do with the power you've been given?
I. The power to lead is misused by most
2 When a land transgresses, it has many rulers,
but with a man of understanding and knowledge,
its stability will long continue.12 When the righteous triumph, there is great glory,
but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves.16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,
but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.28 When the wicked rise, people hide themselves,
but when they perish, the righteous increase. (Proverbs 28:2, 12, 16, 28)
A few months ago, I was talking with a friend who had just started a new job. It hasn't been his favorite job, but he likes it enough. But after a short while serving in his new role, he requested to be transferred to a different location within the company. When asked why, he admitted that it was a torture to him to have to work under his present supervisor. His supervisor was arrogant, demeaning, and discouraging. My friend said that the thought of having to deal with such demoralizing leadership for months or even years was enough to make him sick to his stomach. Thankfully, his company granted his transfer.
Good leadership can be challenging to find. Solomon knew that when he voiced the words of these proverbs, and he illustrated in great detail the ways in which ungodly leadership has a negative impact on everyone that has to live under it. When the power to lead is misused, it can destroy a culture, cause people to withdraw, foster various forms of oppression, and discourage participation.
That's why I think it's critical for believers to look to the example of Christ if they're ever placed in a role of leadership. A real leaders isn't a boss. Christ-centered leaders view their role through the lens of servanthood. Leaders who model Christ's heart see leading as a willingness to serve or suffer in order to make the lives of others better.
"But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant," (Matthew 20:25-26)
II. The power to obey is utilized by the faithful
The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold as a lion.4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law strive against them.18 Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered,
but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.20 A faithful man will abound with blessings,
but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. (Proverbs 28:1, 4, 18, 20)
Do you have a hidden life, or is your life an open book? Is there any part of your life that you wouldn't feel comfortable letting others know about? Are you transparent with your spouse, children, and friends? Is there any aspect of your life that you're trying to hide from the Lord?
Integrity and faithfulness are traits modeled by the Lord that he desires to see displayed in His people. He indwells us with His Spirit toward this end. But those who reject the Lord's presence take their lives in a much different direction. Solomon describes that direction for us.
When a person forsakes obedience to the Lord and tries to hide from Him, they'll flee when they aren't being pursued, they'll forsake the law, they'll fall in ways they don't see coming, and they'll experience the consequences of their rebellion. That's such a terrible outcome that it's hard to understand why anyone desires it, but the truth is, most people think those consequences only apply to other people. The deceptiveness of wickedness makes us believe that somehow we'll be the one exception.
Through faith in Christ, by the power of the Spirit, our desires and aspirations drastically change. It may be the case that in the past we delighted in rebelling and hiding from the Lord, but the Spirit opens our eyes to see a better way. He gives us the power to obey, and in that obedience, we experience blessing and an undisturbed conscience.
III. The power to help is a tool in the Lord's hands
22 A stingy man hastens after wealth
and does not know that poverty will come upon him.
23 Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
than he who flatters with his tongue.
24 Whoever robs his father or his mother
and says, “That is no transgression,”
is a companion to a man who destroys.
25 A greedy man stirs up strife,
but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched. (Proverbs 28:22-25)
I have heard this a few times before, and I read it again earlier this week, but some years ago, two engineers calibrated in a wind tunnel why geese fly in formation. Each goose, flapping its wings, creates an uplift for the goose that follows. The whole flock gains 71% greater flying range than if they journeyed alone. That’s why the leader of the V formation falls back periodically to let another leader take the point, and why the rest stay in line. -Source: Bible.org
Everyone goes further and does better when they have the help of someone else. Geese fly more efficiently and people live more fruitfully when they lift each other up. We will never grow to the level the Lord has called us to grow to without the help of the people He has strategically surrounded us with. He gives us the power to help one another, and uses the help we offer as a tool in His hands to build His church.
In general, Solomon gives us a few examples of what it looks like to commit to help one another, but he also shows us what it's like when someone withholds the blessings that were within their power to give. Those who are stingy or rob others will eventually experience material, relational, and spiritual poverty. But those who demonstrate their trust in the Lord by sharing the blessings He bestows, are themselves frequently enriched with even more to share materially, relationally, and spiritually.
Do you see yourself as a tool in the Lord's hands to lift up someone else?
IV. The power to trust leads to everlasting hope
25 A greedy man stirs up strife,
but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched.
26 Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,
but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. (Proverbs 28:25-26)
There's a big lesson the Lord wants us to get out of life. He wants us to learn to trust Him. I believe the other lessons He's teaching us are important too, but they all seem to fall under that umbrella.
The temptation of this age is to trust in ourselves. We live an era of rampant humanism. We idolize what we think we know, and struggle to acknowledge the limits of human reason. I find it comical that we don't even know what's on the bottom of the ocean floor, yet we claim to understand the formation of the universe from a completely humanistic perspective, as if it came into being apart from the creative intervention of God.
Genuine trust in Christ leads to everlasting hope. Solomon tells us that,"Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool," and, "the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched." We can either idolize ourselves and come to ruin, or we can trust Jesus who is the source of divine wisdom and power. The greater wisdom is found through trusting Christ. The greater power is found through trusting Christ, and His calling on our lives is that we would put that power to work.
In a seminary missions class, Herbert Jackson told how, as a new missionary, he was assigned a car that would not start without a push.
After pondering his problem, he devised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off. As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave the engine running. He used this ingenious procedure for two years.
Ill health forced the Jackson family to leave, and a new missionary came to that station. When Jackson proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started, the new man began looking under the hood. Before the explanation was complete, the new missionary interrupted, “Why, Dr. Jackson, I believe the only trouble is this loose cable.” He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, pushed the switch, and to Jackson’s astonishment, the engine roared to life.
For two years needless trouble had become routine. The power was there all the time. Only a loose connection kept Jackson from putting that power to work.
J. B. Phillips paraphrases Ephesians l:19-20, “How tremendous is the power available to us who believe in God.” When we make firm our connection with God, his life and power flow through us. -Ernest B. Beevers, found on Bible.org
What do you do with the power you're given? Use it to lead, obey, help, and trust. Glorify Christ with your stewardship of the power He entrusts to you.
© John Stange, 2021
