“You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, He said, and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you.” ~ Mark 10:42,43 MSG.
I’ve prayed over these two verses for a number of years, reminding myself; Dave, It’s not going to be that way with you!
A little power, a little success, a little notoriety, a little popularity, a little more attention, a little more respect. How quickly all of this can go to my heard resulting in pride and no longer being teachable; which over time can lead to disqualification.
How would we know if it is “becoming that way with us?”
Chuck Lawless shares some telltale signs to watch out for.
Guest post by Chuck Lawless
Christian leaders are called to be servant leaders, willing to be last in order to lead (Matt 20:26). Even Christians, though, wrestle with a desire to be powerful and influential. Take a look at your own life, and be aware of these signs that you might be a “power-hungry” leader:
- You get jealous when others have information you don’t have. Power hungry leaders want every advantage, including being “in the know” more than others are.
- You hire only “yes” men and women who support your position. That’s one way to protect your power – hire only people who depend on you and look up to you.
- You network only with people who can help you gain position and prestige. You know what you’re doing, too, when you make deliberate choices to hang out with the power brokers.
- You look for wrong and weakness in people who disagree with you. You feel more powerful, more in charge and in control, when you can tear down – in a Christian way, of course – those who oppose you.
- You speak critically about leaders who hold the positions you want. It’s easy to judge those who are where you want to be. After all, you’re really more qualified for that role, anyway – right?
- You remind people of your pedigree and accomplishments, even in sermons. If you find yourself seldom missing an opportunity to talk about what you’ve done, you might be trying to secure your power.
- You’re always thinking about the assumed greener grass in the ministry that is larger than yours. Power hungry people seldom get settled where they are since there’s almost always a ministry with greater size and stronger influence.
- You use your title more than your name. In some circles, titles like “Dr.” carry weight. Power hungry people know what those circles are.
- Your public life is more important to you than your private life. That is, you “shine” in the public while spending little time with God in private.
- You place your ministry above your family. Daily, you spend more time trying to climb ladders than hanging out with your family. That’s seeking power at much too high a cost.
- You see the simple, ongoing, mundane tasks of ministry as beneath you. You’re the visionary . . . the dreamer . . . the leader who ought to be doing greater things than these.
- You get angry at reading this post. If you’re mad right now, these words might be hitting too close to home. Perhaps . . .
What other warning signs would you add?
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