True Power

 Power. What is it?  Many people throughout history have tried to answer that question, and according to each one's concept it has been the Force that puts things into motion in peoples lives.  For certain people throughout history, power was an end in itself, and to obtain as much as possible was their life goal.  If you search Wikipedia for power (it'll have in brackets 'social and political' for distinction), it in short defines power as "the ability to influence the behavior of people."  Abraham Lincoln would not stray too far from that definition but has said,

  "Nearly all men and women can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." 

Gandhi, A man who certainly dealt with the abuse of power in his society also followed that definition by setting "power to love" being versus "love of power."

 "The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace." 

And if you search for other power quotes, countless other people will more or less stick to the above definition of power.  

A recent discovery of an in-built capacity and need for power within man has change my concept of it.  With this new and I would say true and proper understanding of power, most of the quotes would have to undergo revision.  

This discovery comes from an interview with the executive editor of Christianity Today, and author of several books, Andy Crouch.  The main theme the interviewer was discussing with Crouch was the concept of power, which permeates a recent book of his titled Playing God. 

When asked, "If power is a gift, how are Christians meant to steward that gift?" 

Crouch responded

"The purpose of power is flourishing.  Flourishing is fullness of being - being everything that we are created to be.  And the biblical witness seems to be that human beings are given a special kind of power - "image-bearing" power - that is meant for the flourishing of the world.

What an understanding!  That makes me love power.  I want all the power I can get so that I can express and glorify my Creator, Who is said to be Love, by the way (1 John 4:8).   

Check out the rest of that interview, it's got some gold in it:

Interview with Andy Crouch