Political Power does not actually reside within the Person Himself but Rather In The Position Held in a 'Hierarchy', or in the money to create organizations to do whats wanted done.
Political Power is always "Temporal" it may be held for a while, but eventually is always wrestled away.
Spiritual Power on the other hand, has little to do with organization or structure.
It resides not in the 'Position' or in (Money) but in the "Persons" Being.
It is the capacity to influence others, often by example, simply by 'Virtue' of the kind of person that one is.
Executives are subject to the very same temptations that Jesus confronted in the desert.
Unlike Jesus, they are likely to 'Flunk' the test.
They are reflections of Lord Acton' famous maxim: "Power tends to 'Corrupt' and "Absolute" power corrupts absolutely.
Although usually true, powerful executives do have free will under God not to pursue corruption; rather, they can exemplify as an exceptional self-reflective people with extraordinary insight and concerns for others.
It is easy for political power to overestimate its highest ranking positions, but not with respect to overlap of political and spiritual power.
The greatest power a top executive has is the ability to determine the spirit of the organization.
If leadership's spirit is 'Mean' in some way, that meanness will pervade throughout the entire structure in and of organization.
In Washington from 1970 to 1972, during the Nixon administration, The Spirit of "Dirty Tricks" was virtually everywhere.
While political power is generally attainable by only a relative few, Spiritual Power can be attained by most. Although, to a considerable extent, it is a gift from God beginning with the creation of the individual soul, people can choose to neglect or cultivate souls.
When you make the choice for consciousness, learning, and growth, then you have also chosen the path of Spiritual Power, which resides in your being and not in your position.
Throughout the centuries, theologians, in considering the dichotomy between being and doing, have invariably come down in favor of being.
In other words, who you are - what kind of person you are - is much more important than what you actually do.
That is hard to grasp in our action-oriented culture.
The problem is we continually come back for our next session and act as if nothing had happened.
Thoughts become what commonly reflection "What about it" and when multiply reminded "the ritual of scratching heads" begin followed by "I vaguely remember something about it" ends those discussions.
Indeed what we should be realistically setting our sights on is the buildings of best possible relationships, healing will naturally occur without their having to do anything.
It has been believed historically that the power to heal, a spiritual power, comes from God. It is a gift. And it is further believed it is the intent of the Giver that it should be used in such a manner as to ultimately Give It Away.
In other words, the best reason to Have any Kind of Power - Spiritual or Temporal - is to use it so as to Empower Others.
Share: The Road Less Traveled and Beyond.
"St. Ignatius of Loyola notes that sin is unwillingness to trust that what God wants in our deepest happiness. Until I am absolutely convinced of the I will do everything I can to keep my hands on the Controls of my Life, because I think I know better than God what I need for my fulfillment. "
David Benner.
Have you ever tried to help a Christian friend make a decision? It can be a confusing process. Some believe God's will can be found in the most difficult and sacrificial process. Others believe the will of God is whatever choice brings the most Money, Perks, Success, and Personal Gain at any particular moment.
Some people believe that 'Not' Wanting to Do Something is a sure sign that it is God's Will. Others believe exactly the opposite. We all know people who open their Bibles and expect their 'Finger' to fall on God's guiding word, but others expect to use their brain and want another to check out their lists of pros and cons. Discernment leads us into deep waters.
What are we to make of a "Sign" and "opened doors" and desires and self-sacrifice?
Biblical discernment involves more than good judgement,
open doors and decision making skills.
Right Discernment arises out of a relationship with God in prayer. It is founded in the reality of the Holy Spirit's presence with us. Jesus makes it clear the Holy Spirit is our Counselor and Guide into God's will and ways.
The Holy Spirit can be counted on to
1. Assure us of God's love, Goodness and Trustworthy nature. (Romans 8:16)
2. Convict us of Sin, Revealing the False Self and all its 'Agendas' and "Attachments" (John 16:18)
3. Lead Us into Truth, opening us to the cleansing power of 'Repentance' and Freedom Jesus brings. (John 16:13)
4. Bring Glory to God (John 16:14) through everything that happens to us.
5. Nurture the Fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23)
To know God's will we must be assured of God's love. Discernment depends of a Deep Trust in God's Good Intentions toward us. Distrusting God's intentions and fearing that his will could be life-thwarting rather than life-giving can Sabotage our ability to Listen and Wait for Direction.
Reveal the source of your Distrust to God. Ask for Help and Healing. The Spirit does not beat us up for expressing doubts and fears to God. He hears us out, assures us of God's Love and Leads us to Trust.
To Discern Well we also need the Spirit of Truth to open our eyes to our attachments to things that influence our decision making: things like Prestige, Personal Agendas, Comforts, Productivity and so on. We need to Confess our agendas and 'Honestly' ask the Lord what must die in us for God's Will to come Forth. One prayer for guidance is "Lord I am Willing to Receive what you Give, Release what you Take, Lack what you Withhold, Do What You Require and Be Who You Desire. Amen."
When our Hearts are Open to Receiving whatever God says, we are in a place where we can wait and listen for a Nudge From God. We rest in the confidence that we Don't have to Figure things Out on Our Own. We become Alert to the presence of the Spirit revealed in the Love, Joy, Peace patience, Goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, Patience and Self-Control.
The presence of this Fruit reminds us that we can't fall out of God's care or move beyond his notice. When praying for God to Make His Way Plain, one may often pray, "Lord Christ", take those things The Evil One would Use to Discourage and Destroy, and Turn them to my Good, my Growth and Your Glory. AMEN."
Share: Spiritual Disciplines Handbook - Practices That Transform Us.
Lay your choice before God and Examen the matter thoroughly.
ReplyDeleteJournal the scope of the decision, commit your thoughts to writing then take it to the Holy Spirit as Jesus commanded.