Luke 22:25

 Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors."  - Luke 22:25

I have to admit, I had to look up benefactors just to make sure.  And, yep, I'm pretty sure this whole thing is saying that some people use their authority the wrong way.  Instead of trying to help others they just want to show how powerful they are.

This has always been my problem with government.  I often wonder, "Are they really trying to help people?"  And I guess it's the same for anyone in authority - parents, teachers, principals, coaches (those are the people who lead in my world).  Are we doing it so that other people have better lives?  

I know, in my role as a parent and a teacher, there are a lot of times when I justify not doing that because I'm in a "bad mood" or "I just can't deal with that today" or "does it really make a difference."  But, I have to remember that I have been put in these positions so that I can positively affect other people's lives.  Hopefully I remember that today.