You can have power without abusing it. Some of the most powerful people I know are gentle and subtle in their care of others, even self-sacrificial.
We all find ourselves in positions of power sometimes, whether we earned them or not. Take parenting for example. The question for this blog is not whether you should have the power, but what are you going to do with it when you get it.
Having power is an experience of freedom. If we think of freedom as a tool, how are you going to use it? How you use it reveals your character, and the character of those you worship. If we use our freedom to oppress those we have power over, we are demonstrating the fear inside of us of losing that power, and the self-centeredness that comes from fear. If we use our freedom to serve and lift up, we demonstrate love, self-sacrifice, and bravery.
To be loved by someone in power is a great honor. It can help a person to feel valued and seen. To be loved by someone in power is an act of receiving power! It is an act of willful submission because it is freely given, with no obligation.
Unsplash Scott Lord