Power Corrupts...Us

(Proverbs 30:22 KJV)  For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;

First establish the context by looking at the previous verse:

(Proverbs 30:21 KJV)  For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:

When I read this and start looking for meaning and application I begin to wonder how this speaks to a culture which made slavery illegal over 100 years ago and doesn’t have kings.

Is the Hebrew word “servant” (slave NASB) (5650) a similar word to the one used in the New Testament?  After a little investigation I have to say, “Yes.”  The word is never translated “slave” in the KJV like it is here in the NASB.  The overwhelming translation is “servant.”  The same is true of the NASB.

The point being made here is contrast.  Many people cannot handle success.  When they get to positions of power they forget what it is like to be at the bottom.  Or maybe they remember and decide it is pay-back time.  Either way, success can be dangerous to us and the people around us.

So?  Another reason for an attitude check.  Whom do you have authority over?  Are you a parent, a teacher, a manager, an officer or anyone else with a little power.  Don’t let it change you.  Make it a matter of prayer for your own understanding and your behavior.