Vying for Power (Ordinary Time - Day 57)

2 Samuel 3:6-21

Even though Saul died, his kingdom is still at odds with David's kingdom. They are still at war, except this time David's not running. Saul's army commander is taking advantage of the war, and trying to gain power for himself. Meanwhile, he's sleeping with one of Saul's concubines Rizpah. 

Saul's son, Ish-Bashoth, confronts Abner about this and asks him, "What business do you have sleeping with my dad's wife you freak?"

Abner gets pissed and swears to Ish: "Have I not saved your life from the certain capture from David? Have I not saved your father's house? Am I a dog that you treat me like a child? For now on, I will help God accomplish what he promised David - to transfer the kingdom from Saul's house and help David become king over all of Israel. That includes your territory as well!"

Ish has no words. He's baffled at how manic Abner is about being confronted. 

Abner sends messengers to David saying, "Lets make a deal. Make me your campaign manager, and I'll bring all of Israel to your side. I'll get you votes and get you the nomination as king over all Israel."

David agrees to the deal on one condition - that Abner brings with him Michal, David's first wife and

Saul's daughter. David had won her when he killed Goliath, but she threw him under the bus when Saul was hunting him down. So, David sends messengers to Ish ordering the release of Michal, and Abner picks her up on the way to Hebron where David is staying.

David lays out a huge feast for Abner and his twenty men, and David appoints him as his campaign manager. It's time to start the campaign trail. Abner has work to do. He needs to convince the people who are under the rule of Saul's son that David is a better ruler. All the while, he's secretly trying to gain more and more power for himself.

As I work to start a missional community, I remember what it was like the last time I attempted this. I wanted to make a name for myself. I wanted people to think I was great. In fact, I got what I wanted. I got the affirmations I wanted, the praise, and the rewards. There was a war going on and I was trying to gain power for myself by creating a different way of doing things. People were tired of the way things were going with the church, and it was my job to create something that attracted the masses. While the masses never came, I was still focused on trying to make a name for myself.

I was a big shot spiritual leader. One of the things we did as a community was spend time at a foster home in Alvin. There were several kids we were hanging out with at the time, and I grew to really like one of them. While the adults were instructing him how to live his life, telling him to get a job and helping fill out applications, I would go behind their backs and tell him to disregard what they were telling him to do. I was trying to gain power with the people we were working with, and the only way to do that was to turn them against the rest of my group. 

I would say things like, "Don't listen to what they say. They assume they know what's best for you, but really they're trying to get you to assimilate to their way of living. That's no way to live dude. Be yourself. Do what you want to do and not what they tell you to do."

While I meant what I said, I was going behind the backs of my friends and sabotaging their ambitions. I didn't say a word to them. I acted like I was all in, but really I was acting against what they wanted to do.

My natural state is to gain power for myself. Unless I'm turning my agendas over to the care of God, I will backstab, gossip, and try to stump any plans that are threatening mine. Whether it's with work, relationships, or church, the desire to take over is constantly knocking at the door. I don't have to let it in though. 

In this story, Abner is secretly trying to build his own kingdom behind the backs of David and Ish. They are clueless to his alterior motives. However, he's playing the right cards. He's winning the approval of David by the day, and he's campaigning for an all out war. He wants David and Ish to kill each other so he can become king. 

With any new endeavor comes the quiet, conniving voice of power. It wants me to take control and make a name for myself. If I'm not intentional about constantly handing this over, and reminding myself that I own nothing but am merely a role player, then I resort to my natural state of the power grapple. 

Today's Action: For all the things that I have influence over in my life, turn them over all throughout the day by praying, "God, I surrender [blank] to you. You are my director, not the other way around. Thanks for letting me play a part in your plan."