Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be slave to all. – Mark 10:43-44

Most people in the world, when they think about leadership, what do they think? Leadership is often selfish. Leadership is ultimately about me and my glory and my achievements and my honors. It’s about me leaving a legacy. It’s about me having an important life. It’s all ego. Much of the leadership that is done today is done for the purposes of either self gratification, getting wealthy or powerful, or self protection. Leadership today for very many people, especially in the most powerful areas of the county and of the world, leadership today is often selfish. It’s not for others.

This is how leadership was in Jesus’ day. Jesus says to the Jewish people who are in the midst of this Roman culture to lead like me means you become a servant. You become a servant. It’s one hundred percent about other people. When you lead people they’re an ends, not a means. You don’t use people. People are the ultimate end of your goals as a leader. It’s not about you getting glory. It’s not about you getting money. It’s not about you getting prestige or honor. But there’s also a promise in this. If you put others first, if you serve others, if you become a servant to all, God will glorify you. That’s the irony. If you want to be glorified, if you want to be powerful, if you want to be famous; you’re not gonna get anywhere in the kingdom of God. But if you can die to yourself and put others first, and serve others just for them and only for them, God will raise you up. You will see that you will be able to achieve things that you never thought you could achieve simply by trusting God and becoming a servant to people. This is the phrase that’s often referred to as servant leadership. Jesus’ models this. It’s 100% about serving and helping other people. We need people to be out there intentionally influencing others towards a life of Christ. You can lead. You can be a world changer. You can make a difference in the world, you just have to have faith in a big God.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you for your lessons in leadership. Help me to trust you and help me to focus on serving others. Amen.

REFLECTION: How can I serve others today?