or Power In Its Proper Place

“A ruler or other person who holds absolute power, typically one who exercises it in a cruel or oppressive way.”

“The innate corruption of human nature, due to original sin.”

Accountability has always been the only way to restrain the depraved nature of the human race. Where accountability does not exist, power corrupts itself and depravity rue’s the day. We will always look back with regret on our failures to restrain power and authority. 

Absolute power absolutely corrupts every time even in the hands of the most well meaning individuals. We were not meant to be gods. There is but one God and ruler of human hearts. We cannot be that. When we try, we fail. When we fail, we leave a trail of blood and fire in our wake. People are harmed, organizations are destroyed or disgraced and legacies are bruised or broken. This happens in Governments, it happens in businesses, often in our churches and it happens in our families. We were not meant to rule human hearts. Human hearts were meant to be directed toward the heart of God. When we direct others to ourself, we are nothing more and nothing better than a cult of personality.

The more we accept or demand the worship of others, the more likely we are to fall, and fall hard. “The bigger they are, the harder they fall” applies exponentially to those who carry the grotesque pride of self idolatry in their chests. 

“Pride goes before destruction,

a haughty spirit before a fall”

Proverbs 16:18

When the Bible declares that pride comes before the fall, its truth stands firm, and is applicable irrevocably to all. Unchecked pride will always lead to destructive falls and a landscape submitted to its ruin.

We do not follow man or mens rule or authority. Real men, fear no man. They fear God… and they tremble at His Word, and His Word alone. You cannot stand in fear of God and remain on your high horse. It demands that we get down and bow before true authority, power and justice – in its true and rightful place – with God, not us. Absolute power and authority is only safe in this merited place. Leave it in its creators hand, and when He delegates His power to you, know that that power is in submission to His will and authority and in your hands and mine, it is accountable to all. If you wish to stand tall in the eyes of others, than first sit “humble and contrite” before God, trembling at His Word. Only then and there will we gain the humility to submit ourselves to the safe and wise accountability of others.  

“But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”

Isaiah 66:2