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Not Enough Power

I worked at a factory when I was in my early twenties. For a time, I worked the night shift. I enjoyed that shift because it was so quiet; most of the other employees, as well as the management, were at home asleep.

One night, I was running a bit late, and I pulled into the almost empty parking lot and got a spot close to the door.

It turned out I had accidentally parked in the Branch Manager’s spot.

For some reason, the Branch Manager came into the factory that night for some late-night work. I was called up from the shop floor to his office. This is how that conversation went:

Branch Manager: Are you the Branch Manager here?

Me: No, sir.

Branch Manager: Who is the Branch Manager here?

Me: Uh, you are.

Branch Manager: Then why did you park in the Branch Manager’s spot?

He tossed me his keys and told me to move my car and park his car in his spot. I went to the almost empty parking lot and did as he requested. He got his way. He clearly communicated to me that he was in a position of power, and I was not.

This is a common need among men. We like to be in control. We like authority. We like power. And, with everyone vying for it, it can mean that many of us can’t get the power we want. Consequently, we are filled with dissatisfaction.

We may want the power at our workplaces, or in our churches, or in our marriages, or in our families.

Jesus has an antidote to that unrelenting need:

He tells us to be servants. He tells us to be the last. He not only told us this but also modeled it with His life (Philippians 2:6-8).

When we take on the life of a servant, contentment comes with it. It was the way of our Lord Jesus, and He warmly beckons us to follow His example.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I confess that I like it when people do what I want. I like the feeling of being in control and having others obey me and serve me. This was different from Your way, though. You were the servant of all. Help me to be like You. Help me to embrace the lowliness of servanthood. Help me to have the same attitude that You had when You washed Your disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17). Free me from the need to be powerful. Instead, help me to rely on Your power and worship You as the most powerful God. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Reflection: Where are the opportunities to be a servant in your life? How can you serve your wife today? How can you serve your children today? How can you see your employment as a chance to express a servant’s heart?