Day 31 - Faith to Lead

Posted by Jim Carter

“When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table…Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be the greatest.” Luke 22:14,24

“For who is the greater, one who reclines or one who serves?…But I am among you as the one who serves.” Luke 22:27

I’m a sucker for leadership books. If I see a new one, I am apt to buy it. If Homer Simpson wrote a leadership book, I’d probably be first in line to drop down $25. Every author has a little different spin on how one can apply their principles to achieve success in whatever avenue we choose. However, I believe you could probably classify everyone’s views into two categories: 1) leadership by doing, and 2) leadership by saying. Now I can come up with many traits that would fit under doing and many traits that would fit under saying, but what if I want to reach great heights in both categories? I think that is the most important type of leadership: servant leadership. Who better to look to as an example of a servant leader than Jesus.

With Jesus, it wasn’t about being self-serving. It was about serving others. He served others with His head, hands, heart, and habits. For us to model that behavior, we have to continually pound this thought into our head: IT’S NOT ABOUT US!! The Bible tells us that the disciples spent too much time worrying about their position at dinner and with Jesus. He wanted them to understand that the first act of leadership is service, and not their position.

It doesn’t matter what our position is, what our title is, or what we have accumulated materially. What matters is following the servant leadership example of Jesus. What God wants is really what matters.

Whether we like it or not, we will all leave a leadership legacy, for we are all leaders. Why? Because we all influence the thinking and behavior of other people in our different circles (jobs, church family, friends, immediate family). Leading like Jesus is not a 40-day commitment or a sometimes choice; it is a lifestyle. Making the development of people equal to performance is a decision we make. Following the example of Jesus as a servant leader and immersing our lives into the lives of other people is challenging. But with our faith in Him, we will achieve the wisdom needed to lead like Jesus.

PRAYER:  “Father, help us to remember that it’s not about us. It’s about leading as You have commanded us. It’s about pouring our lives into the lives of others. It’s about being the example that Jesus was when He was on earth. We know that is a challenge: not only to serve, but to not concern ourselves with getting the glory. But we know that with our faith and trust in You, we can lead. In Your Son’s blessed name we pray, Amen.”

POINT TO PONDER:  What will our leadership legacy be?