And you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be My witness
Acts 1:8
When the resurrected Jesus began discussing the Holy Spirit with His disciples, one asked, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). They were still thinking about an earthly kingdom. The subject of power brought this to the forefront of their thinking: if you are going to restore a kingdom, we will need some power.
This brings up the heart of Jesus’ power and the heart of our pursuit of it. The disciples were mistaken—they were thinking physical armies, with spears and swords. Jesus was not speaking about coercion and violence; He was talking about serving and dying to self. It was about love, not intimidation. Jesus was giving them the power to heal, restore, and serve. He was not giving them a throne with which they could rule over others. He was empowering them to serve a world in need of the healing of the gospel.
We can look at Jesus’ life and ministry to prove this. He did not use His power to kill, but to heal. He laid down His life for others instead of demanding that everyone else lay down their lives for Him. He displayed His power on the cross, not a throne. Many Christians think of power more like King Kong than King Jesus. The humility, love, and meekness of Jesus served as conduits though which His power would flow.
We will not only damage ourselves but also the witness of the kingdom of God if we pursue the power of God without the heart of God. We are not responsible to save people or even to rescue them; but we are responsible to love them, serve them, and give witness to the gospel. Many church conflicts when boiled down are nothing more than grabs for power through manipulation and coercion. This is not how Jesus operates.
We must work hard to keep our hearts before God. We must seek His power and His heart. We must pursue love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 14:1). The power of the Holy Spirit has and will continue to dominate the kingdom of darkness. We must stand against such schemes—the power struggles—and realize that the power of the Holy Spirit empowers us to put a towel around our waist and wash feet. Jesus has called us to be powerful people with a heart to serve. The cross—sacrificial service—is not an unfortunate event that happened to Jesus; it is how the kingdom comes.