Leadership: This Way Or That Way
First of all, an apology. The audio from Sunday didn't record properly and we are unable to provide you with a podcast this week.
Which is a bummer, because we had Bruce Ratzlaff sharing with us about servant leadership and it was the best talk on the subject I've ever heard.
The good news is that we're not going to leave it here. I want to share with you what I'm taking away from Bruce's message.
Bruce was sharing from Matthew 20:20-28
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
21 “What is it you want?” he asked.
She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”
22 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”
“We can,” they answered.
23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”
24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 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.”
In this scripture Jesus gives us another way to lead than just "exercising authority" and that is to serve.
Bruce asked the question: How is it possible to lead as a servant?
Well, what do all servants have in common?
They all have a master.
A servant leader is not the master. Jesus is. All that they do is in service to Jesus -- not to themselves.
This means that servant leaders don't have "servants" they see the people they lead as co-workers in this mission of serving Christ. Bruce backed this up with countless scriptures in the new testament where Paul and others refer to the people they lead as co-workers or fellow brothers and sisters.
Imagine a leader that sees you as a co-worker rather than their servant?
I was struck by how different this model is.
We shouldn't want to lead because we think we can do it better.
We shouldn't want to lead because we want the power.
We shouldn't want to lead for the recognition.
We should lead because we want to serve.
Because we want to accomplish the mission Jesus gave us and to bring glory to him!
That's the kind of leader I want to be.
So, maybe you lead in the office...
..or children
.. or a family
... or a bank
... or a small group
What kind of leader are you? Do you "lord" over others? Or do you treat the people you lead as fellow brothers and sisters in the mission? Are you in it to serve?
Because Jesus calls us to lead as servants. There's no other way Jesus wants us to lead.
Thank you Bruce for this amazing insight.