Are you a child with a chainsaw?
When my son was ten, I had to buy him winter boots in men’s size ten. He is very tall for his age, and his feet are even bigger. One of the consequences of him growing so quickly is that he rushes through the house, running to-and-fro at the hurried pace of an excited child, but with a much larger body and man-sized feet. I cannot count how many times things get knocked over as he rushes past, or how often he has accidentally crushed my toes while he gets used to the skis that are his feet.
I have found that, while most people eventually get used to their adult bodies and grow less clumsy as they mature, it is a different matter entirely for people to fully comprehend the power that they embody in this world, and the influence they carry—which can be utilized for good or bad. When we don’t realize the extent of our own power, we will inevitably “step on toes” in the proverbial sense.
Like a child with a chainsaw, if we don’t recognize the dangers of the power we hold, we are quite likely to use that power in ways that unintentionally inflict wounds on ourselves or those around us.
The irony around this is that when we feel powerless, or are the victim of someone else’s poor choices, we are at increased risk of acting out against others. While we feel powerless in those moments, and feel like our actions are small or inconsequential, others often experience things very differently, and we hurt them. “Hurt people hurt people,” as the saying goes.
A dramatic mental picture I ponder is the image of a child with a chainsaw. Chainsaws, of course, are helpful tools for pruning trees or making firewood. However, giving such tools to a child is dangerous since they are often unaware of the danger they hold in their hands. Once a child grows into maturity and can grasp the dangers of the tool, they can begin to learn how to handle it safely. Likewise, if we don’t recognize the dangers of the power we hold, we are quite likely to use that power in ways that unintentionally inflict wounds on ourselves or those around us.
Romans 12:3 invites us to, “Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves” (NLT). How often do we fail to see the power and influence we all carry? How often do we step on toes like my son who is unaccustomed to his own large feet? Or like a child with a chainsaw, completely unaware of the dangerous tools they wield?
The good news is that we are rarely ever completely powerless, and usually far less powerless than we are made to feel. After all, we are all endowed with the gift of free will and as Christians we also live with the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. Therefore, let us not stay at the stage of children, but recognize the power that we do in fact wield in this world—and let us grow into maturity that we may use our influence to help others in the ways of Jesus instead of stepping on toes. We should act our age, not our shoe size, unless you are my ten-year-old son.
