In contrast, the world is seeking a different kind of dominance, evidenced by a popular magazine that rates the top 100 most powerful celebrities on the planet based upon their wealth, how many magazine covers they’re on — even the number of Web searches for their name. It seems that a multitude of actors, athletes and business tycoons are stepping all over each other to get to the top of that heap.

How about you? What kind of power are you seeking? After all, true power doesn’t come from fame and fortune, but from God Himself. Psalm 62:11 says, “Once God has spoken; twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God.” If it’s true that God is the only One that possesses real power, then we had better plug into His power source. The secret for obtaining this spiritual authority is as simple as “turning our eyes upon Jesus, and the things of this world will grow strangely dim,” but to give you some handles to hang onto, I’ve crafted seven questions that I pray God will use to rock your world!

1. How do you view yourself?

One proud father was quoted as saying, “My son will do more than any other man in history to change the course of humanity. He’s more charismatic, more educated, more prepared than anyone. He’s the bridge between the East and West. There is no limit because he has the guidance. He is the chosen one. He’ll have the power to impact nations, not people, but nations. The world is just getting a taste of his power.” The father? Earl Woods. The son’s name? Tiger.

As much as I certainly appreciate the way Tiger can hit the little white ball, I think dear ol’ dad went a tad overboard. My hope is that the son doesn’t hold the same inflated opinion of himself his father does. Most of us don’t have the problem of thinking too highly of ourselves, but rather too lowly. Struggling, wretched sinners are what many of us see in the mirror each morning. Which we are — but that’s not all we are. The key is not to view ourselves too highly or too lowly, but to see ourselves the way God does. Check out Ephesians 1:3-8 and discover that as a child of God you stand holy and blameless before your heavenly Father. So get up, dust yourself off, lift your hands to heaven and praise God that you are a “chosen one.”

Bottom Line: Develop a Biblical Self-Esteem

2. What place does the cross have in your life?

Is it a Bible story you’ve heard so many times it’s gotten old? Is it a hymn you’ve sung so often the words have become meaningless? Shake the cobwebs out of your brain for a moment and transport yourself back to the scene of the crime and stand (no, kneel) at the foot of the cross. In the midst of the crowd’s cursing and crying, try to focus on the silent One in the middle, looking up into His eyes, full of pain, yes, but also love. Don’t speak, just feel. Feel the cold, hard stakes driven through His wrists and feet and the blood flowing down. Feel the agony of being separated from His heavenly Father as He absorbs your sin into His very body.

Now, with your eyes riveted on His, pray this version of Galatians 2:20 back to Him, “Lord Jesus, I am being crucified with You; it is no longer I who live, but You who lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in You, who loves me and gives Yourself for me.” You and I deserved to be on the cross that day - instead of Him. The only logical response to this ultimate act of mercy is for us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him. The cross: what place does it have in your life?

Bottom Line: Say No to Yourself, Say Yes to Him

3. What do you count as significant?

Jack Welch, former president of General Electric Corporation and his wife, Jane, are divorcing. In splitting up the assets, they each submitted a budget that listed what they believed were the absolute bare essentials to sustain the lifestyle they’ve acquired. A sampling of Jane’s monthly “needs” includes: $7,500 for clothes, $2,500 for cell phones, $2,500 for dining out, $20,000 for travel, $1,000 for movies and opera, $10,360 for jewelry and $8,260 for wine.

I’m sure Jack’s budget is just as ridiculous, but who is she kidding? We shouldn’t scold her too much because most Americans, like Jane, don’t know the difference between their wants and needs. In fact, you can perform an easy test on yourself to determine what you count as significant. Step one: Keep a detailed log this week on how you spend your time. Step two: Look at your checkbook and credit-card statements over the last three months. Step three: Prioritize these activities and items according to the most time and money spent down to the least. After finishing, you will be staring down at a piece of paper that reveals what you believe is important.

Bottom Line: Invest Yourself in the Eternal More than the Temporal

4. Are you relying on your strength or God’s?

When I travel overseas, the moment I step off the plane, I’m in charge. Why do I get to be the “instant leader”? Because I’m an American. Don’t laugh, there’s more. Not only am I an American, but I’m an educated American. On top of that, I’m a sharp, educated American! Do you think the locals there pick up on my blatant arrogance and egotism? It’s literally dripping from me! Before you condemn me, though, take a look at your own heart. It is so hard for us to truly believe it when Jesus says in John 15:5b, “Apart from Me . . . you can do nothing.”

“Nothing at all, Lord?” That’s right. Zero. The big goose egg. To be honest, sometimes I deceive myself into thinking that somehow, someway I’m clever enough to accomplish something in this world - on my own - apart from Christ. Moses forsook this kind of foolishness in Exodus 33:15 when he demonstrated the principle of relying on God’s strength, not his own, praying, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” There’s something greater than ourselves, even greater than our country. It’s God. Rely on Him - and Him alone.

Bottom Line: Lose the Arrogance and Abide in Christ

5. What price will you pay for integrity?

The Josephson Institute of Ethics’ most recent survey claims that 74 percent of students cheated on an exam this year. 38 percent have stolen something from a store in the last 12 months and 93 percent have lied to their parents. If these figures are correct, we’re in the middle of a spiritual epidemic. It’s easy to go with the flow, allowing the immoral stream of your campus to carry you along, but the tougher choice is to say, “Enough is enough” and swim against the tide. You may lose a friend or two, but you’ll like yourself better and certainly sleep sounder at night!

Acts 24:16 notes Paul’s policy in such matters: “So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.” Whether it’s test taking, tax returns or net surfing, who you are in private is who you are. According to my pastor, one of the keys to keep a clean life is to allow the Scriptures to “wound” you on a daily basis, referring to Hebrews 4:12, “For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; and judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Verse 13 then gives the rationale for why we ought to simply surrender and allow the Word to pierce us to the core: “All things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” God sees all and knows all and like a spiritual surgeon, He’ll cut away everything that isn’t Christlike in our life - if we truly want Him to.

Bottom Line: Use the Word to Build Deep Convictions

6. Do you really love others?

Anna had been happily dating Chad for almost six months before the bomb hit. She found out he’d secretly started seeing Christy, one of her sorority sisters who had been e-mailing him notes and pictures of herself. It hurt Anna badly to see her relationship with Chad vanish as he and Christy became inseparable, spending every weekend together. In her quiet time one morning, Anna came across Ephesians 4:31 telling her to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger” followed by verse 32 exhorting her to “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” At that moment, she knew exactly what the Lord was telling her to do: Release the anger and bitterness she held toward Chad and her friend Christy.

As the tears flowed, Anna felt the shackles fall off and the cleansing of Christ’s forgiveness wash over her. With a new freedom and perspective, she set out to show kindness and compassion, especially to Christy, whom she was pretty sure was not a Christian. A few weeks later, a devastated Christy came to Anna’s room after Chad had used her and moved on too. Christy was different though, now asking for forgiveness and seeking solutions for her shattered life. Late that night, because of the unconditional love she felt from Anna, Christy bowed her head and invited Christ to come into her heart as Savior and Lord. Now they became best friends, spiritually growing by leaps and bounds together. These two girls experienced the supernatural love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, in the face of a cruel and undeserved betrayal, and their lives would never be the same.

Bottom Line: The Love of Christ Changes Everything

7. What legacy will you leave in life?

From 1989 to 1998 Prairie View A & M University obtained the not-so-distinguished honor of being the worst college football team of all time. They may forever own this legacy, because during this 10-year period, they lost 80 straight games. In 1991 they scored only 48 points the whole season, while their opponents racked up an average of 56 points per game. If you’re a college student, you have the opportunity once you graduate to leave something behind that’s more than just a win-loss record, a 4.0 GPA or an impressive resume stashed in some school file.

Life is all about relationships and touching people for Christ. Some of the very last marching orders Jesus gave us were to “make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). A woman once came up to Billy Graham, complaining to him about Dawson Trotman (the founder of The Navigators, a college ministry across the world) and spouting, “That Dawson Trotman, all he can talk about is making disciples, making disciples. He has a one track mind.” Graham paused, looked at her wistfully and whispered, “Madam, I wish I could get on that same track!” Jesus Christ, along with Trotman and Graham’s words can motivate a new generation of students to take seriously this Great Commission and leave behind a legacy that will live on. Multiply your life by finding someone who can help you help others and then - get started!

Bottom Line: Become a Disciple and Make Disciples

Epilogue: I recently had the privilege of traveling to the small Massachusetts town where the famous 19th-century American evangelist D.L. Moody was born, as well as buried. Standing there by his grave, I realized that here was a man greatly used of God around the world and yet was uneducated and with speaking disabilities. Where did this former shoe salesman, who became one of the most spiritually powerful men on the planet, gain this depth of life and purpose? The secret might be revealed in a statement he would often make, “The world has yet to see what God can do through a man who is totally yielded to Him. I want to be that man.” Moody sought the source of real power. Do you?

Bottom Line: Power Comes from God