Are you a leader? If you answered no to that question, I challenge you to think again. It’s easy to believe that leaders are those who have been given a position or title granting them a measure of authority in a specific area or over a certain group of people. The truth, however, is that all Christians are called to lead. How? In the same manner Jesus did — by being a servant. To make it simple, leadership is influence, and as we sow ideas and actions into the world, our goal is to make the Lord visible to others so they want to know more about Him and receive His life into theirs. 

Servant leadership stands in stark contrast to our natural human desire to control. Whether leading our kids, our spouse, our parents, or our friends, it’s easy to become worried or upset when they make choices that conflict with what we see as God’s best for them. If they go down the wrong path, our anxiety goes way up, and instead of turning to the Lord and praying about it, we tend to tighten our control. Unfortunately, when we do this, we can easily overwhelm the still, small voice of Jesus in their hearts and overrule His humility with our own opinions and ambitions. 

Friend, no matter what you think, you are a leader. Own that truth and know that Jesus has called you to influence the world around you, one relationship at a time. However, it’s crucial to remember that leadership never equates to control or dominance. Instead, it is a choice to live like Jesus and invite others to join you on the journey of knowing Him and making Him known. Your example speaks leader than your words, so seek to love and over-serve those around you, and watch how things begin to change.