Is “Power” Something A Christian Should Want?

Is “Power” Something a Christian Should Want?

This is not an easy question to answer because “power” is such a vague and contextual concept. Here I am ONLY talking about what some Christians, mostly progressive ones, say they want—“empowerment.” (Of course they are not the only ones who want that!) But I want to discuss, and ask, whether “empowerment,” as progressive Christians mean it, is something a Christian should want. Is there anywhere in the Bible where Christ’s followers are encouraged to seek “empowerment?”

First, let’s set aside the obvious. Of course the New Testament encourages Christians to seek and receiver the Holy Spirit’s power to be servants of Christ and witnesses to him. That’s not the empowerment progressive Christians I have read seek. They often contrast “empowerment” with “service and sacrifice.” They are often Christians who believe they have been denied influence in their churches, denominations, and even families.

So, it seems to me that at least SOME progressive Christians (and others) want “empowerment” OVER or at least ALONGSIDE others—equal power with others and power to be independent of others.

Now, I have no objection to anyone wanting liberation from oppression. But I wonder if “empowerment” is a Christian goal. To my way of thinking, anyway, “liberation from oppression” and “empowerment” are not the same. To me, “empowerment” points to something more than liberation from oppression.

I have seen a trend in progressive churches over the past several decades of many women divorcing their husbands. Now, if they divorce for reasons of adultery or abuse, that’s one thing. But in many cases I have known of, that was not the case. It seemed they wanted their freedom for self-discovery and self-realization and self-determination.

I was closely involved with one such divorce. I knew the couple very, very well. She, the wife, began reading feminist literature, including theology, and decided her husband was holding her back from her full self-realization. They had a disagreement about whether she should leave the family and move to a distant location to attend a seminary to become a spiritual formation director. Their children were still in school. He, the husband, did not give his consent, but, of course, he could not stop her, either. She accused him of emotional abuse for wishing her not to leave the family. Ultimately, she divorced him in an extremely ungracious way, with much anger and many accusations. She wanted “empowerment.” I knew the husband very well and he was anything but domineering or abusive. He simply could not agree with her plan—given that the children were still living at home and needed her there.

The concept of “empowerment” as self-determination, self-realization, power from or alongside of or over others is a very dominant theme in today’s progressive Christian circles. There are many especially women bloggers and podcasters who encourage women to be powerful—in this way as I have described it here. Not just to achieve equality and liberation from oppression, but to achieve complete self-determination and even power over others.

It seems to me the New Testament encourages all Christians, men and women, to be servants of others, to be selfless, even voluntarily subordinate to others for the higher calling of service and witness. “Servant leadership” has become a cliche, but I believe there is much truth in the concept. Christian leaders should all be self-sacrificing servants of Christ and the church. Women should not be singled out for special self-sacrifice and service, “kept in their ‘place’,” so to speak. But neither should women OR men seek empowerment beyond receiving and using the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the “missio dei.”

Power, as we know, is corrupting. Only the power of the Holy Spirit is not corrupting. And even that has be be kept in check by the community of believers when it takes a “fleshly” turn toward power-over-others.

Am I wrong? What do you all think?

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