For anyone in a position of “power” with any authority (parent, teacher, coach, clergy, politician, caregiver, boss, etc.) our main objective absolutely should be the perpetuation and facilitation of the human flourishing, development and goodness of others. This is what it means to be a leader – developing people, not a business or an institution or even an ideal. Those things may happen as we invest in the flourishing of people, but without the flourishing of people and their potential as beloved individuals created in the image of a good and loving God, we misuse and abuse power and authority.
Here is the great peril of power - the devaluation of others by seeking to hold on to power at the expense of stifling the growth and flourishing of others, or worse, employing manipulation, control, and suppression to gain even more power.
Look at the word “power” itself (I just noticed this today). Horrible usages of “power” cause us to swing and hurt others (“pow”) with the result being (“ow”) real pain, hurt, disenfranchisement, etc. “Pow” and “ow” are built into the English word “power” that are serious pitfalls that anyone in a position of power must be aware of because by nature we tend to want that imposing, authoritative rule (how many children were raised by a domineering parent with an iron fist).
And if this is true when it comes to wielding power in general, how much more does this apply to those of us in positions of Christian leadership with any kind of Christian power? Jesus warned that the Gentile rulers lord their power over others and regularly exercise authority over them. But those who would truly follow in the way of Jesus will take on the nature of a servant and serve in such as a way as to build people up, not tear down and misuse them.
There is too much “pow” and “ow” today because we tend not to understand how best to leverage our influence and power to empower. The following Bible verse says it perfectly – “Let us encourage one another and build each other up…” (I Thessalonians 5:11a). This is real power. This is what it is to empower.