The Servant Leader « Soaring Above The Eagles

The Servant Leader

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The Servant

When we are new Christians it is so easy to see the mature Christian leader with awe, and look forward to ourselves becoming leaders.

As we mature and learn to use the gifts God has given us, and we can see that we are “coming of age” in Him, it would be easy to feel that we were becoming a “somebody”. Perhaps becoming even a Billy Graham or a Billy Sunday or a great Prophet, those that we have always wanted to be like. In fact God may even tell you that you will have a ministry such as they. However, does being a Billy Graham make us “somebody”, a giant in the faith to be admired by all, or does it make us a great servant?

In Matt. 23:11-12 *, Jesus said, “But the greatest among you shall be your servant. And Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” When a leader in any field decides that he is above others and they are lesser than he, he has become arrogant. An arrogant person gives orders and feels that no one knows better than himself and cuts himself off from being taught, first by man, and then by God. He has come down with I disease, the same thing that happened to Satan. In Proverbs 8:13 we read, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way,” and in Proverbs 16:18, ” Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before stumbling.”

The Strong’s number for servant in Matt. 23:11 is 1249. It is: servile work or as an attendant, servant, table waiter, deacon, minister.

Jesus, our leader, saw himself as a servant. First as the servant of the Father, and secondly of his followers. A leader’s job is to lead you to where he is going and to teach you how. The minister, or pastor’s job is to lead, train and teach you to become all you can be in God. A leader is nothing without those to lead. In the same way, if the leader is not serving those under his care, he is no leader at all but an idle being worshiped, by his followers or himself.

God means us all to grow into leadership and as we grow into that position let us remember that it is a place of serving others rather than a place of being served, a place of bringing those who are weaker into strength and maturity. It is a place God grows us up into, so we can help others, not only ourselves.

In Luke 6:38 Jesus said, “Give and it will be given you,” and, “For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” Servanthood is giving. What measure do we want from God? The more wholeheartedly we serve others, the more we please God. God never said he would bless a cheerful getter or superstar, but he did say he would bless a cheerful giver.

Sure it’s not the World’s way of thinking, God’s ways seldom are.