Authentic Kingdom Culture: Power!Sampel

Referent Power

God is all-powerful. He has all the power and distributes it how ever, and to whomever, He pleases. For example, in Chapter 1 of Daniel, we see that God gave King Nebuchadnezzar the power to be victorious in a battle over King Jehoiakim. However, military might (or coercive power, as we will discover later) is only one type of power.

The first type of power God grants to Daniel is referent power which is the power that comes from being liked or respected. Daniel 1:9 (NLT) says God gave the chief of staff respect and affection for Daniel. We could also call this favor. God gave Daniel favor with the chief eunuch put in charge of the captives.

Where have you and I been given favor with people? Do we recognize it is not our charm or our good looks but a divine grace from God? What should we use this favor for? Let's see what Daniel did.

First, let's consider what he did not use his favor to do. He did not use it to get special favors to cheat his way to the top of the class. He didn't use his contacts to get on the inside track or get a shortcut to a position within the King's household. He didn't ask for extra classes or better accommodations. Daniel instead used his favor to ask for allowance to follow his religious customs while ensuring that he did not get the staff in trouble with the King.

What was in Daniel's heart? Staying loyal and true to God. God will also grant us favor in our time. What will we do with it? Will we use it to get ahead or walk circumspectly before our God?