Leadership may sound glamorous and rewarding, but it must always be seen first and foremost as an opportunity to serve before it is ever an opportunity to be served. When we are empowered by Jesus and the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit as leaders, what comes out is a natural inclination to meet the needs of others first before meeting our own needs.
Many leaders in the world today are too concentrated on the perks and benefits that come along with leadership. We think of people who are assigned as managers, CEOs, executives, pastors or directors who are quick to demand pay raises, vacation benefits, free parking and other perks and the world will say that's the norm.
But God describes leadership according to a wholly different spectrum. God isn't looking for leaders who will readily look to the rewards of position, but those who will readily look for opportunities to serve others. Jesus said in Mark 9:35, "And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, 'If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.'"
Leadership is not about the glory, authority, treasures and power that comes along with position, but about being ready to make a difference in the lives of people by effectively empowering them to do greater things, sometimes even greater than what we can currently do. Leadership, as demanded by the Father and as portrayed by Jesus, calls for people to serve not be served.
The word servant in near east culture is very closely connected to the concept of being a slave. When God asks us to be slaves, He asks us first and foremost to have the humility to take the position of lower stature without having pride get in the way. A leader with pride is always bad news for people in an organisation or community, and there are plenty of them out there. What the world desperately needs is more leaders who will act in humility.
Secondly, slave-like leadership also calls us to not be afraid to get our hands dirty and to hustle non-stop to get things done knowing that it is the Holy Spirit that empowers us to do greater things. Left to our own strength we are limited, but servant leadership coupled with trust and submission to Jesus and His authority gives us greater influence and results.
Leadership is not about our needs being met and our name being put on golden plates. It's about humbly serving others and serving God knowing that there is no greater reward than Christ and seeing others be raised up by our work. That's how Jesus did it and that's the best way that we can do it.
