Leadership. It is one of the values and character traits that nearly every person hopes and prays to have. Leadership is something that can only be taught to a certain extent. True leaders have leadership qualities from the start. They are naturals at leading people, whether it is leading people in good ways or bad ways. A character trait that very few people think about and want to be known for is a servant. The word servant oftentimes has a negative connotation.
As a Christian, we should be striving to put these titles together. We should be striving to be a servant leader. A servant leader isn’t often talked about in the world outside of the Bible, but servant leadership is very important to the Christian walk. Jesus was the clear example of a servant leader. According to Matthew 20:26 and 28, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant … just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus lived His life serving others. He is the greatest example to us of what a servant leader is.
A servant leader aspires to glorify God and to teach more people about God’s love. This is where the two terms collide. We have to lead people to Christ, but sometimes, in order to do that, we have to sacrifice certain things. Paul was a great example of this. He sacrificed many things because he believed it would bring other people closer to God. Paul gave up marriage because he believed it was a sacrifice he needed to make in order to have more people in a relationship with God.
As a leader, a Christian leader, it is our responsibility to serve others. We are called to love others by putting others before ourselves. Jesus showed people love and lived a life of serving and helping others. While it is impossible for us to serve others exactly like Jesus due to our sin, we have the opportunity to always try to serve others like Jesus did.
An easy way to lead like Jesus did is to be an example. Jesus lived His life glorifying God the Father. He lived His life pointing people to Him. Every action Jesus made was an example to others. If we live our lives in a way that is glorifying to God, we are being leaders. As a leader, we are called to lead people correctly. As a Christian leader, we are called to lead people to God. This is one of the biggest responsibilities we have as Christians, but it is one that God has entrusted to us.
Hope Brakenhoff is a student at Greenville University.
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