1 Kings 1:5
“Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, ‘I will be king’; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.”

I have never really understood why men so earnestly desire to have authority and power. Even when they do not qualify for it, they dream, scheme, and hope to be in that elevated position so they can receive honor and respect from others.

Could people who pursue after power actually have a faulty personal self-image and need leadership position to make themselves whole? Could it be that these types of people are suffering from an inner crisis they are trying to camouflage?

I am constantly baffled by the lengths to which men will go to be leaders. Now, if unbelievers do this, we can forgive them, but why do believers fight for the same thing? Why do believers manipulate and scheme to make themselves higher than others?

It’s amazing how even with the twelve disciples, they too struggled and jostled for this same thing. They saw how Jesus lived among them in humility and simplicity, and how He demonstrated service as leadership, but they still didn’t get it.

This was what happened to Adonijah, son of Haggith. David had not appointed him as heir, but he said to himself, “I will be king,” and then started plotting to make it happen. What made him make that decision within himself?

Refuse that inner desire to be king. That seed is not from the Lord. The desire to lord it over others comes from a sinful nature. People who pursue after this have a corrupted inner core, and their ambitions are not from the Lord.

If God promotes you to leadership, receive it with humility and as a stewardship for service. There’s nothing wrong with having power and authority, but don’t scheme and manipulate to get it. Prepare your heart by purifying it from all selfish desires.

You don’t need a leadership position to make an impact. Your life is complete without any leadership position, and you can influence your world without it. If God gives it to you, however, know that it’s only to be used for His kingdom and service.

@ChineduOranye
RestlessPilgrim.org