This evening, in our family scripture study, we read a reminder of why people shouldn't be trusted with too much power. In 1 Samuel 8, as elsewhere in scripture, the people want to have a king, but are warned against the harm a king can cause. Kings can tax and confiscate property, appoint taskmasters over the people, force people into difficult situations, and severely punish those who disobey. Kings are bad news.
But, naturally, it's not just kings. No one should be trusted with too much power over other people. Power corrupts, and those who have more power than accountability are prone to abuse that power. Thus, we shouldn't trust anyone with great power unless we also have a plan for how to hold them accountable if they abuse it.
As a general rule, I don't trust other people, especially not with power over other people. Instead, I believe strongly in individual moral agency and, when necessary, the power of persuasion. Instead of exercising power over other people, I would rather try to persuade them to do as I ask, and I would much rather be persuaded to cooperate than be forced to by those who want to exercise power over me. If you have a good reason to want me to do something, explain your reasoning to me. If you can't, then maybe your reasons aren't as good as you think.
Power in the wrong hands can be dangerous, and it can be hard to know whose hands are trustworthy, so, as a general rule, I don't trust anyone's. I don't trust other people to have or exercise power over me, and, as many scriptural examples illustrate, I don't think God would want me to.
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