Power Corrupts!

It’s often said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, ...but how? And is there a way to guard against it?

I would like to suggest that power produces pride, and it’s pride which corrupts the person at their very core. I believe it’s like a law of nature that *when you elevate someone by giving them power over others, it feeds their pride. It’s as predictable as when you drop something that it is going to fall. So, if a person in a position of power does nothing personally to counter this natural tendency towards pride or if there is no pride-curbing accountability in place, it’s a given, their pride will grow. The pride corrupted person in turn corrupts their position of power. So, power grows pride and pride corrupts power.

What does this pride-corrupted power look like? Well, pride exaggerates the value of self, which produces a sense of entitlement. And secondly, pride diminishes the value of others, which leads to exploitation. So, pride-corrupted power takes advantage of these less-valued ones for its own “well deserved” gain.

Positions of power/responsibility that are granted as stewardships from God will be corrupted by leaders/pastors whose integrity is not maintained by a continual humble relationship with God and a servant heart toward those He has entrusted to them. Without that active humility, even external pressures and accountability may not be sufficient to suppress the growth of pride and the devious evils that it employs.

Perhaps this is the very reason our Lord Jesus gave these countercultural mandates when He said to his disciples;

• “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew‬ ‭20:25-28‬ ‭NASB
  

• “But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” Matthew‬ ‭23:8-12‬ ‭NASB

Mount Carmel High School

seems to get it —or maybe not.

Very simply, our Lord had no position of authority, only one of service. So, we too should not rule, but serve. He has called us into an upside-down kingdom, yet we keep trying to flip it back the other way, like following the model of the “Gentiles.” If we pursue advancing Christ’s Kingdom by following Christ’s example, maybe we can eliminate the danger of power corrupting the pastorate and other positions of responsibility. Maybe we should even go as far as doing what He said, and not call anyone teacher, or father, or leader.

*There is one caveat. Pride can develop without a person being elevated. Their pride then motivates them to pursue a position of power to feed their ego. I guess that will have to be a topic for another time.