Man has responsibility, not Power. – Tuscarora
Boo yaa! This one blew me away.
The more I read the words of the Tuscarora, the more it hits the mark. Mans mission on Earth is to be responsible for it. Accountable for the animals, the oceans and rivers, the jungles, the forest, and our brothers and sisters.
The Earth and our families need responsible stewards, not overlords who inflict Power. Responsibility and Power are two very different things. We have the Power to be responsible, but we're generally irresponsible as a whole.
As my associate, Danny used to say, "see you in the funny papers". When I read the Tuscarora quote, I think of Spiderman. In 1962, Marvel Comics introduced Spider-Man in issue number 15 of Amazing Fantasy, in it is a quote that has been repeated thousands of times.
"With great power comes great responsibility,"
the original version is more extensive:
AND A LEAN, SILENT FIGURE SLOWLY FADES INTO THE GATHERING DARKNESS, AWARE AT LAST THAT IN THIS WORLD, WITH GREAT POWER THERE MUST ALSO COME — GREAT RESPONSIBILITY!
The Tuscarora saying says something different, and it makes plenty of sense once you realize the source of all Power.
We typically manufacture our Power. We make planes, weapons, and cars. Make no mistake, our brains and bodies are mighty, but when I picture Power, I see the sun or an ocean or even a lion.
Clearly, we have the Power to trash things. Take a look at the ocean. Recently I saw a documentary, Netflix's Sea Conspiracy. Beyond a doubt, it shows how we are destroying the ocean. Now that's Power—the Power to mess things up on a grand scale. Undoubtedly, if we had any real power, we wouldn't die, and we certainly wouldn't do things that speed up our expiration date.
Any real power is from God and God says this about our "power."
1 Corinthians 2:14
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
So much for the Power of man, we can't even recognize God's Power unless he gives us a hand.
In case you didn't quite get that, here's more.
Deuteronomy 8:17-18
Otherwise, you may say in your heart, 'My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.' But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth...
We're created to be responsible. It's in our DNA. One of the first things I taught my kids is to be responsible. Responsible for your actions and responsible for your words.
God gives us the Power to be responsible for the things we are in charge of. So, we're not powerless. Just be sure to keep in mind where the Power comes from.
What are some things that you are responsible for?
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