Why the search for power is not the pathway for the person of God

By Dean Collins

If they act as if they want to be in charge, if they prefer to possess power, they are likely not the people who need to be there. On the other hand, those who demonstrate humility and are not afraid to let others see their weaknesses are probably much better candidates to be the leader of the business, organization, communities, or church.

We see this in the attitude and the teachings of the apostle Paul. In 1 Corinthians 2, he explained that when he came to Corinth he didn’t come trying to impress anyone with his big words or his wisdom. He came determined that the people of Corinth know one thing, Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Godly wisdom in a worldly city

Corinth was a modern and happening town. It was a business city, a place with two sea ports, which made it a logistics center. It had Roman government but also was not far from Athens and had been influenced by the Greek philosophers. It was a town with history in athletic games and musical festivals. It was also the home of the temple of Aphrodite. It was a place filled with worldly wisdom. And in this sophisticated urban center, Paul didn’t try to pontificate or keep up with the scholars, the business leaders, or the government authorities. He had one source of wisdom, and by the power of the Spirit of God that filled him, he wrote, spoke, and practiced the simple and powerful message of the cross.

Paul did not seek to be an insider or power player. He did not seek fame or fortune; he operated his ministry mostly out of his own wallet. As he wrote to the church in Corinth, he clarified the difference between wisdom that comes from God and wisdom that comes from the world. He was aware of the temptation to drift toward the world’s influence and forget the transformational power of the gospel. Paul saw the conflicts within the church as they battled with each other because of this drift to which authority and wisdom they would follow.

Lives of service among seekers for power

All around us we see the same conflicts and struggles. We have to make choices every day about whom we will follow. Political parties, courts, influencers, and cultural preferences all try to suggest pathways to follow. And most of them present themselves and their mandates as not just the best choice but the only one that won’t end freedom. Their wisdom must be evaluated against the wisdom and ways of the cross.

Paul indicated that followers of Christ must follow the ways of the cross and that only by the Spirit of God can we ever take on the mind of Christ. Those who are led by the mind of Christ and filled with the Spirit of God will always live lives of service. Those who are being led by the world’s wisdom, no matter how hard they try to convince us otherwise, are focused on seeking or maintaining power and authority.

The mind of Christ, not the “natural” person

We must cling to Jesus, the one Paul describes in Philippians as one who could have claimed power and authority as equal with God; but instead he “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Jesus did not ride into Jerusalem on a white horse and try to take over anything. That would have been the way of the world. The ways and wisdom of God always must follow the model of Jesus. Because we are transformed by the cross we must choose the path of service.

In the second chapter of Corinthians, Paul is clear that a “natural” person is one not led by the Spirit of God who cannot even understand the ways of Jesus. It is frightening to watch believing Christians carelessly listen to and claim allegiance to leaders who consistently demonstrate no practice of servanthood and constantly pursue power as their approach to leadership. Jesus showed us a different path. The apostle Paul followed the path of Jesus who reminds us that our key to service and ongoing personal and spiritual transformation comes from clinging to the mind of Christ in all we do.

Lord, today we confess our temptation and even our tendency to drift toward the wisdom and practices of the world. Today we want to know Christ and him crucified for our sins and the sins of the world as our only source of wisdom. We lay down all attempts to gain power and ask that you continue to transform us by the power of the cross so that we might humbly serve others as we live and share the gospel daily. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your time with God’s Word
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭1-‭16; ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬-‭11‬‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Photo by Kyaw Tun on Unsplash
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