Power plays work only in some places and only for a short time
By Dean Collins
Power plays are great if you’re the ice hockey or football team running them. In ice hockey the power play emerges when the opponent has a player in the penalty box giving your team a numbers advantage. In football the power play works when the blockers overwhelm the defensive line allowing the running back to push forward.
But in everyday life, most people grow tired of the power plays in government or the workplace. This is because power plays never unite people, they only divide. Those who don’t have power always feel the discomfort or even the suffering that results. When a new group or leader rises to power, often we see just a new exertion of power; a reversal of power elevates a different group with an opposing ideology but the same old style. The belief system may be different, but the power play is all too familiar.
One church’s power plays
The apostle Paul spent a good portion of time trying to respond to the power plays happening in the Corinthian church. The super-apostles had stirred up the church. If modern media had existed, the super-apostles would have certainly run commercials stating all Paul’s flaws. Their ads likely would have shown Paul after being beaten or in chains: “Do you want to trust this guy as your spiritual leader?”
After Paul had corrected the facts about himself and challenged the church to do a self-evaluation of their circumstances and motives, he claimed that real power is demonstrated when we follow the path of Jesus. Paul allowed his weaknesses to be leveraged for the glory of God and the benefit of all.
A better goal
As he closes his letter he calls those in the church his brothers. They weren’t biological brothers and sisters, but their common ground was that the same God was their Father and the same Savior must be their Lord. Paul put up a new target. Instead of aiming at who can be the most powerful, why not aim for restoration? The Greek word used by Paul really calls for aiming at perfection. But this perfection is achievable only as the church finds a place for all. There must be a focus on providing comfort and help for those in need. There must be agreement, which can be found only as the believers take on the mind of Christ. There must be peace, which is always demonstrated by right and healthy relationships with others based on a right and healthy relationship with God.
Paul sent his greetings to all. He encouraged those who had been in opposition to be affectionate toward each other. And he offered a prayer of blessing that the grace of Jesus, the love of God, and the Holy Spirit would be with them.
As the dust of a long election season begins to settle, we have options as brothers and sisters in Christ. We can continue to be loud and angry with each other and work to prove our side of the political fight is or was right. Or we can follow Paul’s example and show humility and aim for restoration. We have a divided country. It’s time to reveal a united family of God in the church. This could be our greatest opportunity to show the world the power of the gospel if we would love each other as Christ loved us.
Your time with God’s Word
2 Corinthians 13:8-11 ESV
Football photo by Pixabay from Pexels; hockey photo by Lynda Sanchez from Pexels; photo of U.S. Congress by Harold Mendoza on Unsplash
