Most of us at some points in our lives will acquire some modicum of power or authority. It can happen in any number of contexts: arriving at middle management in cube world, teaching third-graders, leading a Sunday school class, having kids.
What's amazing is how many of us have been in situations where the leadership was terrible. We're good at complaining (the cheap currency of quick and convenient social interaction that creates shallow and temporary bonds) but we do precious little to do much better ourselves when we are in the places of influence, leadership, or authority.
And as history has shown, it doesn't take much more than a few drops of power for us to creatively find ways to abuse it. Power goes quickly to our heads and makes us insufferable bores and boars. This basically sums up much of your local DMV experiences.
Fortunately, the Scriptures have some helps for us. 1 Peter 5 has a series of 3 "not-buts" that we would all do well to consider as we all wade into the world of power at various levels.
The specific context is to leaders in the church, as you'll see. And that's clearly the first place these principles should be and need to be applied. But the principles can work out in almost any context of leadership, authority or power.
Not-But Number One:
"Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be." (1 Peter 5:2)
Growing up, did you ever have a teacher who didn't want to be there? It was pretty obvious, wasn't it? They're just punching the clock, looking ahead to retirement or having to fill in on a subject or a class they'd rather not be teaching.
Leaders who serve solely out of obligation over the long haul do damage to the people under their leadership. It's a joyless task for leader and those under their leadership alike.
Now clearly in just about any situation, there are seasons where you stick with it just because you know it's what's needed. Parenting is one example--there are seasons where you serve because that's just what you have to do.
But on the whole, when the arc of our leadership or authority is exercised in a spirit that is joyful, glad, willing, it makes all the difference. My wife is a tremendous mother in large part because our kids know that she delights in them. There's a willingness to be with them that blesses them more than they will ever be able to express.
Not-But Number Two:
"not greedy for money, but eager to serve" (1 Peter 5:2)
Peter is eager to keep the young church's leadership from entering into questionable financial practices. And certainly the church over the centuries would have been better off if people in leadership had heeded this command.
But there's other things we can be greedy for: more power, approval, applause, influence, fame. These things are often at work in our hearts and are sometimes harder to prove.
I find it interesting that Peter couples "not greedy for money" with "eager to serve." Greed is all about me: my needs, my desires, my interests. Serving is always about the other. Not being greedy for money, power, approval, fame or whatever is graciously and violently corrected by an eagerness to serve the other.
Not-But Number Three:
"not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3)
Like I mentioned earlier: a little power for many of us goes a long way to inflating our heads. We delight to wield our little tridents, flex our muscles, and exert our little wills in whatever little tributary is ours to open or close or re-direct.
Alas, church committees are full of people such as these.
Peter was well aware that power corrupts and that absolute power corrupts absolutely. He knew it, because he lived it. The Roman empire that so dominated the entire geo-political landscape and terrorized this tiny Jewish-splinter group who followed the teachings of a man named "Jesus" was littered with self-aggrandizing governors and emperors who "lorded it over."
Not so with you, Peter says. This was to be an essential part of the church's witness to the watching world. The kingdom of God will be different from Rome's kingdom. Watch and see how we lead.
Of course, there is One who lived all three of these "not-buts" perfectly. Jesus, the True Leader who handles power by giving it over to his Father, by serving his friends, by laying his life down for his enemies.
And we desperately need to pray that he'd raise up many who will lead as he did. We need it in his church and in the world for the sake of the world and the healing and redemption of all it--even of your local DMV.
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