Strength to Not Exercise the Power

[S] Luke 23:37 --
 ³⁷and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!"

[O] The soldiers who were mocking Jesus demanded to save Himself if He was the King of the Jews.  These Roman soldiers were probably all used to exercising power as their profession and could not understand why if Jesus was the King of the Jews, He had to suffer like weakling and be humiliated before them like this.  However, it is much easier to exercise power than not, while fully capable, for a greater cause.  It would have been not only easier but also meaningless for a King to exercise His power.  So even if Jesus was fully capable of saving Himself, He controlled His power to fulfill His purpose of dying as the sacrifice to save mankind.

[A] When in any leadership position, withholding the power delegated to me to carry out my purpose is the model of Jesus that I must remember and follow.  As someone once said, He modeled how to be a servant leader, not a strict manager.

[P] Dear  Jesus, may my heart be molded to follow after Your leadership model of servant and sacrificial leadership.  You withheld Your awesome power in order to walk the path of Calvary to the crucifixion in order to fulfill Your purpose here on earth.  Please grant me the same grace and strength and focus to fulfill the purpose You bestowed in my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.