Temptations - Power
Temptation - Power & Control
Again, the devil took him [Jesus] to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Matthew 4:8-11
Much of our energy is devoted towards using whatever measure of power and control we have to secure what we think will bring us the greatest degree of happiness and satisfaction in life. Like previous temptations, Satan seeks to coerce us into utilizing our power to meet our legitimate needs in illegitimate ways. In Genesis 3, seeing that the fruit was good for food and desiring wisdom, Eve took and ate. It’s the same temptation we face regularly. How will I use the power and dominion God has given me (Genesis 1:26)? What Adam and Eve demonstrate is our propensity to believe that, “the end justifies the means.” In God’s economy, this abuse of power is called sin. And whatever desire that prompted this misuse of power because we “must have it” has now become an idol.
A simple reflection on the way we utilize our time, talents, and resources is a strong indicator of what has captivated our heart. And so we focus on using our influence, power and control to orchestrate our lives in such a way that we get those things. What are those things that you think would satisfy you if you could just get them?
Dr. Larry Crabb explains that we spend much of our lives leveraging our power and control to ensure we get what we want. He refers to this as the top of the iceberg in his analogy of The Managed Life. For many, we’ve sought out principles or some kind of formula where so long as we do X, Y, and Z, we should get what we want.
We often put God in this same box treating Him like a cosmic vending machine. But what happens when life doesn’t work out the way we think it should? What happens when we don’t get the grade we think we deserve? That relationship falls apart? This plunges us below the water line into what Dr. Crabb calls The Wounded Life. All of our frenetic energy is wrapped around doing whatever it takes to solve the pain or problem to get our head back above water to The Managed Life. We leverage our power and control in order to make things work as we think they should - even if that requires questionable means. And so the cycle goes between managed and wounded.
The invitation presented to us in The Wounded Life is not to take control (moving back to the Managed life) but to take the counter-intuitive movement downward towards The Formed Life. Here the question is no longer “what can I do to get back to looking and feeling good?”, but rather “What is God doing through this and in me?” The Formed Life is focussed on allowing the Holy Spirit to do His work through the pain as we recognize that all of our striving can never meet our deepest needs - needs that God alone can satisfy.
For Reflection:
Jesus has a habit of asking a rather simple question throughout the gospels that is surprisingly difficult: What do you want? Simple, clear, and cutting directly to the heart, it reveals in quite a profound way our deepest desires. Take a moment to quiet your mind in a place where you will be undisturbed. After a few moments of silence, imagine Jesus standing before you asking you this question: What do you want? Write out what comes to mind…
In what ways have you been tempted to misuse your power and influence to meet legitimate needs in illegitimate ways?
What do you sense is God’s invitation to you around these areas? Is there a truth He wants to impart to you, or an action He wants you to take? Write out your thoughts…
A Prayer of Relinquishment - by Richard Foster
Today, O Lord, I yield myself to you. May your will be my delight today. May your way have perfect sway in me. May your love be the pattern of my living. I surrender to you my hopes, my dreams, my ambitions. Do with them what you will, when you will, as you will.
I place into your loving care my family, my friends, my future. Care for them with a care that I can never give. I release into your hands my need to control, my craving for status, my fear of obscurity. Eradicate the evil, purify the good, and establish your kingdom on earth. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.
