Mr. President

 

When my siblings and I were very little, we were experts at playing pretend. I am so grateful we grew up in a low-tech era that allowed for such an imaginative childhood. We played doctor, school, store—everything our little minds could imagine. We even pretended to be Mr. and Mrs. President!

One thing that devastated my sister and me most was that because we weren't born in the U.S., we weren't lawfully allowed to be president. My brother thrived on the idea of one day being able to rule over us, but we could never rule over him.

The general idea of being in power and having authority over others was totally misinterpreted by us when we were little. We always thought that someone in authority had total control over everything and dictated what everyone around them needed to do.

In fact, it wasn't until I got older that I came to understand that being a ruler or president often means being less in charge of what they want to do and more aware of what others advise them to do. Every good president has a large cabinet of advisers who ultimately guide their every move. They don't do whatever they please. Similarly, every CEO has a board that assists them in making important decisions. What makes a good leader is the ability to listen carefully to counselors and advisers in order to act on behalf of those they represent. In a way, we basic civilians have more freedom to make our own decisions compared to those in high power.

I find that the Kingdom of God operates in the same way. The most influential individuals are those who forfeit their freedoms and learn to listen carefully to the wisdom and counsel of God's word. Their every move is dictated by careful listening to our ultimate advisor, the Holy Spirit. They don’t act as they please; they act as they are directed by the Holy Spirit. The path to influence and greatness lies in total surrender of the will and seeking out biblical wisdom, then acting in accordance with that wisdom. 

Jesus continuously made this claim to his followers: 'I never do as I please; I only do what I see the Father doing.'  

Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.  (John 5:19)

“You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes—...”  (Deu. 12:8)