Power, Privilege, and Platform
What we do with power reveals who we follow
Every leader has power.
Every leader has privilege.
Every leader has a platform.
The question is not whether we have those things. The question is what we do with them. Most leaders use power to protect themselves. Privilege to elevate themselves. Platform to promote themselves.
History is filled with examples. Empires built on ego. Movements fueled by self-preservation. Influence leveraged for image. That’s the pattern the world celebrates. But…Jesus did the opposite.
The One Who Had It All
Paul writes something staggering in Philippians:
“Though He was in the form of God, He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself…” Philippians 2:6–7
All power belonged to Jesus. All authority and glory was His. He could command angels, silence storms, level empires, and end rebellion with a word.
He didn’t lack leverage, no, He intentionally chose restraint.
Authority Used for Love
Jesus said it plainly:
“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45
That is not how power normally works.
Power normally climbs.
Jesus descended.
Power normally accumulates.
Jesus emptied.
Power normally protects itself.
Jesus gave Himself.
He leveraged heaven’s authority to wash feet, to touch lepers, to forgive sinners, to weep with the grieving, and ultimately to go to a cross. No leader in history has ever used absolute power for absolute self-giving love like that.
That is the beauty of Christ and His Gospel.
Sacrifice Was Not the Absence of Strength
It’s important to say this clearly: Jesus’ model of leadership was not weakness, avoidance, nor a removal from hard decisions.
People looked to Him in moments of crisis.
They brought Him their sick, their questions, their conflicts, their theological disputes, and their political traps.
When storms raged, the disciples woke Him.
When crowds were hungry, they turned to Him.
When leaders argued, they asked, “What do You say?”
That’s not a man shrinking from responsibility. That’s a Leader people trusted.
Jesus made hard calls, confronted hypocrisy, rebuked Peter, overturned tables, set boundaries, and walked toward Jerusalem knowing exactly what awaited Him.
Servant leadership did not mean indecisiveness. Instead, It meant strength harnessed for love. He didn’t remove Himself from hard things. He moved toward them, without ever using His authority to shield Himself at the expense of others.
That’s the difference.
The Inversion of Leadership
In the Kingdom, everything flips.
Power isn’t for domination.
Privilege isn’t for insulation.
Platform isn’t for self-promotion.
Leadership is not about being above others. It is about stooping low enough to lift them. That doesn’t mean softness. It means controlled strength directed toward sacrificial love. It means choosing service when you could demand service. Choosing humility when you could assert superiority. Choosing obedience when you could assert rights.
That is Kingdom leadership.
What This Looks Like for Those Who Lead in Ministry
If you lead in ministry, this may hit close to home.
Because ministry comes with power.
Spiritual authority.
Moral influence.
A microphone.
A platform.
And those things can quietly shape us if we’re not careful. So what does it look like to lead like Jesus? It means asking hard questions of your own heart.
Am I building Christ’s Kingdom…or protecting my reputation?
Am I guarding the flock…or guarding my comfort?
Am I leveraging my platform to make much of Him…or to make much of myself?
Spiritual authority is real. Hebrews 13 reminds us that leaders will give an account. That should humble us.
Kingdom leadership in ministry looks like:
Preaching truth even when it costs attendance or goes counter to the cultural narrative.
Absorbing criticism without retaliating.
Shepherding quietly when no one applauds.
Sitting in hospital rooms no one sees.
Protecting sheep even when wolves are loud.
Making decisions that strengthen souls rather than expand visibility.
It means using influence to elevate Christ, not your brand. Using authority to protect the vulnerable, not silence dissent. Using your platform to serve the body, not to build a personality. And sometimes it means laying down rights you legitimately possess…for the sake of witness and love.
Jesus had every right to assert Himself.
Instead, He stooped.
That is not weakness. That is strength under control. And for those entrusted with leadership in ministry, that is the call.
The Question for All of Us
Most of us won’t command armies or nations. But we all lead somewhere.
In our homes.
In our churches.
In our businesses.
In our communities.
Online.
We all have some measure of power, privilege, and some kind of platform. The question is not whether we influence.
The question is how we influence.
Do we use our authority to protect our image? Or to protect the vulnerable? Do we leverage our voice to build our name? Or to make much of His? Do we guard our comfort? Or do we give ourselves away?
The Cross Is the Model
The cross was not a loss of power. It was power rightly used. Jesus didn’t lose control at Calvary. He exercised it.
He chose obedience.
He chose sacrifice.
He chose love.
And in doing so, He redefined leadership forever.
A Final Word
We live in a culture obsessed with influence. But in the Kingdom, influence is measured differently. The greatest Leader in history used infinite power for infinite mercy.
Power isn’t for domination.
Privilege isn’t for self-preservation.
Platform isn’t for self-promotion.
In the Kingdom, leadership looks like sacrifice.
Jesus showed us.
The only question left is whether we will follow Him there.
Thanks Andrew!