The perils of power

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the holy angels I solemnly call upon you to obey these instructions without showing any prejudice or favour to anyone in anything you do. Be in no hurry to lay hands on people to dedicate them to the Lord’s service. Take no part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.   (verses 21,22)

Read 1 Timothy 5:17-25

To study the history of humankind is to learn of the horrifying consequences of the abuse of power. ‘Power corrupts’ is an adage that has always held true unless there are checks in place.  In Ephesus it seems that some of the church elders had betrayed the trust placed in them. Paul is aware that Timothy was faced not only with the very difficult task of dealing with this serious problem but also with the necessity of avoiding bias, hasty actions and any entanglement with the wrongdoing of associates. With God and the hosts of heaven as his witnesses, Paul impresses on Timothy that power must be used with discretion.

You may be in a position of power or influence in your home, church or business. If so, you would be aware of the ease with which power can be used to your own advantage. Or you may have suffered the consequences of the abuse of power by others. Either way, you need the daily reminder that you are a baptised child of God, his new creation, with access to your heavenly Father for protection from evil and grace to take Christ’s path of servanthood .

Dear Father, lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours forever. Amen.

by Margaret Hunt, in ‘New Strength for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 1998)

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