Granted, these were ideas I picked up in early life. They came from watching leaders behaving badly. But it’s surprising how these ideas have continued to influence me. As I have grown in my understanding of God, I can see that I was wrong, very wrong, about power.
To be sure, there are people in the world in positions of power who take from other people, or lord their positions over others, or use their power in a malevolent fashion. But the issue there isn’t power per se. The issue is their self-understanding. There is something amiss in their humanity, maturity, or theology. And there may be something amiss in the structures in which they operate. But the issue isn’t power itself.
That’s because we all have power. Personal power is a gift from God. You can’t not have power. It’s one of the ways we are made in the image and likeness of God. Power shows up in the way each of us exercises our agency. Each one of us has the capacity to decide basic things for ourselves. Things like our actions, feelings, responses, behavior, and beliefs. God has made it that way. In fact, God has given each one of us so much power that we can choose to ignore God! That’s a lot of power!
Jesus’ Power
Jesus is a beautiful example of living fully into the image and likeness of God. Jesus used his divine power to calm storms, wind, and waves. He healed and raised the dead. He taught so as to re-shape self-understanding, and forge new relationships among people. He lived in such a way that others saw new possibilities for themselves.
More importantly, Jesus not only possessed this power, he passed it on to those around him. Think about the disciples. On their way to becoming apostles, they followed Jesus as he empowered and encouraged them. He gave them permission to tap into their own power by showing them how to not only have faith in him, but to have the same kind of faith he had. That’s a lot of power. Jesus wasn’t stingy with power. He was generous with it. That’s true power.
Before, I was looking at power as zero sum, or manipulation. Now I understand that power comes from within. It’s a gift given by God. Everybody’s got it. The question is what will we do with it? Jesus’ example is the best I’ve ever seen.
Empowerment is True Power
As a leader, the more you tap into your own personal power, and consciously exercise your agency, the more peace and effectiveness you’ll have as a leader. Not only will you get to choose your responses to situations, but you will also be able to teach your people how to choose their responses as well. That’s good news for the church. Churches that exercise their agency means more disciples, more apostles, and more positive impact in the world. It also means you won’t have to minister alone. Jesus didn’t minister alone. And you shouldn’t either.
First, though, you, yourself have to be empowered. That means letting go of self-limiting beliefs so that you receive all of the gifts that God has offered you.
To put it plainly: first, receive the divine power within, and then multiply that power by empowering others. You’ll find that the more power you give or share, the more power you actually have.
Recently, I was with my team of faculty from Creating a Culture of Renewal®. As we reflected on a retreat we had co-led, there was a moment of tender sharing. One of the team acknowledged me, saying, “The fact that we’re all functioning and leading so well together is a sign of your leadership, because you have empowered us.” In that moment, I realized that I don’t have to see other people thriving and surviving as competition – (the sense of being in competition for power is probably why the evil or insecure feel they have to wrest power away from others) – but, rather, see their flourishing as a sign of me giving power away and empowering them. They in turn, empower me with the gifts that God has granted each of them!
Next Steps
As you think about power in your ministry, don’t think about wresting authority from others. Instead, think about power you can first receive from God, and then, power you can give away.
I promise you’re going to find that as you share power, you will be increasingly empowered. As you watch the people around you flourish and thrive, you will see that more gets done with more alignment, more companionship, more community, and more power shared. Including with you! You’ll learn to be open to being empowered by others, even as you empower them.
I was wrong about power, but you don’t have to be. Power shared is power multiplied.
Not sure how to go about this? Take the next step by tapping into Platinum Rule Leadership for Changing Times.
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Thanks for this. I have the gift of persuasion and charisma which has been helpful in my pastoral and leadership roles. BUT…it can easily be misused or even abused. I remember a time when I literally talked a guy into a volunteer position, just to fill the slot, not really thinking
through that he was the most ill-suited person for that particular job (it was chairing a commitee and he was a introvert and very shy). He “failed” almost immediately and felt terrible
about his failure. I went back and apologized profusely, admitting my mistake but it didn’t take away the sting and his feeling of failure. He stopped coming to our group shortly after that. Now I was the one who felt bad! Power is a huge responsibility. When we gain power or are given it by virtue of our job, we need to treat it (and others) with great respect and use it carefully or it can quickly become destructive. People in leadership positions should always “check themselves”, something I learned from my youth group. How am I doing? Am I using my influence (another good word for power) in a positive way for the common good? Or am I trying to use it to better myself? Checking ourselves (as you have done) should be a regular exercise for leaders.