POWER DIMENSIONS

God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that POWER belongeth unto GOD – Psalm 62:11

Power can be viewed from the perspectives of the natural or human and the supernatural or spiritual. Among human beings, power comes in different forms: physical, economic, financial, social and political. Power also manifests at different levels. It could be the personal power deriving from individual’s own abilities, experiences and skills; parental power; or positional power confirmed by higher authorities. It could also be displayed at collective, corporate, national, regional or global levels.

Secular authors have also referred to some sources of power: authority, reward, coercion and expertise and identification. The power of authority normally stems from a person’s position within a setting. The power of reward occurs when one individual has the capacity to reward another in a formal or informal way. The negative power of coercion involves a person’s ability to exercise sanctions or punishments against another. The power of expertise derives from one’s possession of specialized information, knowledge or skills. A fifth form of power stems from a person’s identification or connection with other power-brokers.

It is important for whoever would operate in the Power of God to understand the significance and as well as the frailty and limitations of these various dimensions of natural, human power. Without doubt, the place of power is the place of relevance. The place of power is the place of significance. Power ensures performance. In various dimensions of life, people who have power are those who are in charge, in command and in control. However, all these dimensions of natural power are temporary and transient; there is nothing permanent or final about them.

Ultimately, all power belongs to God and any dimension of power that a human being has is delegated power and must be used as such. Those who use their delegated powers – political, economic or otherwise – properly for the benefit of society, usually leave impactful legacies. They are elevated to greatness and the positive platform of history and continue to be celebrated. Those who use power negatively always end up on the dustbin of history. God will demand from every single individual what he or she did with power!