Proverbs 16:12 - Kings detest wrongdoing, for a throne is established through righteousness
Fear gripped everyone on the plane: its wing had exploded; the engine had stopped – and it was plunging rapidly towards the ground.
Yet, things were to get worse. The plane found itself heading directly towards a baseball stadium filled with 80,000 spectators. Disaster was inevitable; a new tragedy was about to be written in the volumes of history. All of sudden though, a blur of red and blue shot through the sky and saved the day! Superman grabbed the plane and gently guided it to safety.
When we were young, power was a good thing.
But now we are adults, ‘power’ is a bad word. We shudder when we hear it. We run from it; we hide from it, and we do not trust it.
Who can blame us? We hear testimonies from women who have been sexually harassed by men who had power over them. We see images of death and destruction caused by powerful dictators. We watch a viral video of a police officer killing a helpless citizen, and we are left disillusioned by a President’s decision to leave thousands in peril by suddenly pulling his troops out of Afghanistan.
Power is bad we conclude, so we endeavour to get rid of it. But we cannot. Power will always exist. We can protest against it, oppose those who hold it, and forcibly take it from those who weren’t worthy of it. We can even renounce any power that we hold. But we cannot destroy it. It will always be there waiting for someone to take it. Like a fifty-pound note left in the middle of the street, the question is not will someone take it, but how will they use it when they do?
So here is my plea to you.
We need men who are ready for power when it comes their way; men who know that outward reform begins with inward renewal; men who use their power not for their own benefit, but for the good of those they hold power over; men who use it to protect those who cannot protect themselves, who robustly act against the great injustices of our society and who cannot be swayed by those who want to corrupt them.
Like the strong, erratic, wild horses who were tamed for greater purposes, we need gentle men who have their immense strength and power under control and aimed in a righteous direction.
Might this be you?
This article, written by Christopher Kerr, was originally published by Sorted Men's Magazine.
Comments