1.

and

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Knowledge is a good thing and a

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from God, and so when we use knowledge and information to produce humility and wisdom in us, God wants us to pursue it.

But the LORD God warned [Adam], “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” —Genesis 2:16-17 (NLT)
At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness.… —Genesis 3:7 (NLT)

How tragic that the wrong knowledge and information can damage and even destroy

.

Then [men] said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.’ —Genesis 11:4 (NIV)

It’s not that the information is inherently bad, but our sinful natures look for ways to use and manipulate that knowledge for our

and, too often, to the

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of others.

In taking in all this information and knowledge, it can often become

.

God is infinite, but we’re finite, which means we have

to compassion, to being able to process, to handling emotions, to coping with the degree of brokenness in our world and in us.

We often experience

as we try to cope with too much knowledge or try to control others with the information we possess.

… we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. —1 Corinthians 8:1 (ESV)

2.

Next the devil took [Jesus] to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” —Matthew 4:8-9 (NLT)

Power is probably the most obvious and common form of

, and includes all kinds of things like manipulation, coercion, abuse, privilege, and force, but they can all be summed up as exerting control simply because we

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.

When we look at Genesis 1 and 2, we see God using His power almost exclusively to

and to

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.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” —Genesis 1:27-28 (ESV)

When we misuse power to control, instead of creating and empowering, we end up

power away and

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others.

Five Most Common Forms Of Power
(The Cost of Control by Sharon Hodde Miller)

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  Power – our words can build up or they can destroy.
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  Power – coupled with words, our emotions can comfort and bless, or they can create shame, guilt and fear.
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  Power – our bodies and strength can communicate love and encouragement or anger and intimidation.
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  Power – power that derives from education, expertise and institutions that can be used for the care of others but can also be misused to protect ourselves at the cost of others and even hurt others.
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  Power – power that’s derived or seems to be derived from God that can be transformative or misleading, toxic and evil.

Our power isn’t found in force or manipulation but in our intimacy with and desire to be like our

.

3.

Those who trust in their riches will fall…. —Proverbs 11:28 (NIV11)

The question isn’t if we need money, but do we desire and want it

.

Those who love money will never have enough.… —Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NLT)

The relationship between money and security falls on a spectrum – on one end money is how we provide for our basic

, and on the other end, money becomes a form of

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, whether it’s our life situation or controlling someone else.

The point at which our relationship with money shifts from a “healthy need” to a “control need” is when our basic needs are met but our hearts don’t reflect it. —Sharon Hodde Miller

When we need money and feel we never have enough, even though our basic needs are being met, we may very well be using money to feel

.

… I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. —Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT)

Finding our contentment in

and choosing to be

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instead of holding things tight are important ways God gives us to defuse using money for control.

4.

Shame can be used to

us into conformity or submission.

A setting where shame is often used, even unintentionally, is in our

.

Shame seems to promise control, but it really only provides a

, and a painful one at that.

The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Then the LORD God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” —Genesis 3:12-13 (NLT)

Adam

Eve, and also God for creating her, and Eve

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the serpent.

Since the beginning, human beings have been using shame and blame to get things done and

others.

Jesus’ answer to our sin, to our shame and blame, wasn’t more shame but sacrificial, unconditional

!

When we feel tempted to use shame to control another person, remember that shame is never the voice of God but the voice of our

, who set it into motion in the very beginning.

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Next Week: Control – What Control Costs Us

The Cost of Control by Sharon Hodde Miller

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