Lead

So Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.  But among you it will be different.  Whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10:42-45

There is a scene in The Polar Express where the conductor punches the word "LEAD" on the ticket of the little girl.  She mispronounces it as led with a short 'e,' ...as in a lead weight.  He quickly corrects her and pronounces it as lead, with a long 'e', as in leadership. 

So what does leadership look like in the Body of Christ?

Much has been written about servant-leadership over the last few years.  I'm not going to rehash all that has already been said on the topic of servant-leadership, but as I studied this passage in my daily Bible reading I realized that the following characteristics are a must for Christians who lead:

1.  Humility - (You must have the same attitude as Christ Jesus had.  Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8)

2. Righteous Motivation - (The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; he guides it wherever he pleases. People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart. The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices.  Proverbs 21:1-3)

3. Be Unselfish, Look Out for Others - (Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.  Philippians 2:3-4)

4.  Self Control - (But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:22-24)

5.  Good Reputation - (He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap. 1 Timothy 3:7)

6.  Submission to God and One Another - (Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Ephesians 5:21)

7  God is First and Foremost - (“I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. You must not have any other god but me.  In summation, those who wish to be great among us must become the least...But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on thosewho love me and obey my commands."  Exodus 20:3-4, 6)

8.  Love - (“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.   Matthew 22:36-38)

But what if you have no plans or desire to lead? 

Well,  these same qualities that Christ laid out for leadership in His church actually apply to all Believers - even those who do not wish to or are not called to lead.  The qualities mentioned here simply lay the foundation for Christian character.  Without these basic character traits, leadership in the Church would be no different from leadership in the world.

But WE are different. 

WE are called to higher standards. 

WE are all to exhibit these basic qualities as Christ's followers if  WE are to LEAD others to the cross.

And though we do not all have the gift of leadership, He still commands all of us to go out and make disciples of the nations - using the talents and abilities He's given to do so!     

So we can ... lead in Christ!

Grace and peace!

In His Love, Cathy