What Power Reveals

There is a saying I have heard often throughout my life, and even repeated at times. It says, "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely." It has a nice ring to it, and it is helpful in expressing some of our concerns over government leaders or people who are more wealthy than we can comprehend.

It is also completely false.

Using that logic I would have to believe that God is the most corrupt being in the universe, since He is also the most powerful. Though some might try to make that argument, my personal experience has been that God is rather merciful, good, and just.

I have come to see that rather than corrupt, power merely reveals what already exists in my heart. Let us consider two modern examples.

Rick Warren

Regardless of how you feel about his teaching or ministry positions, there is one thing that is quite clear about Rick Warren; he is a man of good character. Some people believed this before he wrote the most successful hardback book of all time (besides the Bible). It became even more clear when he reached a level of fame, influence, and wealth that is beyond that of any other pastor. What we saw was that he was still the same man; just more so. He became more generous, more passionate about world missions, and more committed to pastors and the church.

He gave back every dime his church had every paid him, stopped taking a salary, and started giving away 90% of his income (he was already giving away 40% or more).

In this case power, fame, and wealth revealed a heart that has been changed, a heart that is more concerned with other than self.

Tiger Woods

Love him or hate him, it is hard to argue against the fact that Tiger could have been the best golfer to play the game. Time will tell whether or not we remember him that way. But, at this point Tiger is better known for his off-course deeds than his incredible golfing performances.

The odds are we are not seeing a new, corrupted version of Tiger. Had he ended up like you and me he most likely would have merely been another closet porn addict, possibly going to a strip club every now and then like other guys.

You add annual contracts over $100million and the title of "most famous athlete in the world" to that and you get a man who leaves a trail of sexual exploits and pain.

You and Me

So, what does power reveal in us? Odds are very few people reading this blog have the kind of power, fame, or wealth as the examples I used. For most of us that may be a good thing. I fear what would have happened had I received millions of dollars in my early twenties. It would not have been pretty; I know that for sure.

More recently I have found that an increase in power reveals a level of pride that I did not see before. It also reveals a sense of entitlement and self interest that I do a decent job of hiding most of the time. I saw that power and position made me more lazy and less motivated; or rather it revealed my desire to avoid work and attain comfort.

The Big Picture

In the end what I find is that power reveals my vision. The key difference between Rick Warren and Tiger Woods is that Warren has a vision that is big enough to handle his status, Woods does not. Being the "best golfer who ever lived" is not a big enough purpose to contain all of the power, fame, and wealth that goes along with it. At the end of the day he is still left wanting; unfulfilled, or so his actions lead us to believe.

I see the same thing in myself, albeit in a much smaller scale, when I am living for a purpose that is too small for me. The cure is to find a vision, a purpose, that is so much bigger than I am that I could pour out all of my life for all of my life and still never see it completed.

What is that purpose for you? Were you given great power, fame, and wealth; every desire of your heart... what would it reveal?