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Servant Leadership

Jesus said:  "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Being a leader is a difficult thing to do.  Can you think back at some of the leaders you have had in your life?  What made them so different?  For me, the leaders that I look back to all have one thing in common:  They do for me what I can't, and because of that, they instill a confidence that my holes are filled with their skill and effort.  Great leaders don't tell you how to do something, they show you it can be done.  

Jesus in this story is talking with James and John. To put it into context, James and John are asking Jesus if they can sit on the right and left side of the throne in His glory.  Jesus replied to them that "These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared," and then He goes into comparing the leader of the Gentiles to what it means to be a leader like Christ.  

It is a very reoccurring topic of mine throughout my writing, but it all starts with the fact that your life is not yours.  To be a true servant leader, you must give up your desires and give in to His desire for you.  Just before this story in Mark 10:17, Jesus comes in contact with a very wealthy man.  Jesus directs the man to go sell everything, give it to the poor, and then to follow Him.  In my reading of this passage, it hit me that Jesus did not tell the wealthy man to give up everything, but instead to go and sell everything and give to the poor .  The importance of this difference of giving up your things vs. selling your things is that there is a true transfer of ownership.  Jesus is instructing this man to actually transfer the ownership of his things through a sale and then give the proceeds to the poor.  Jesus is instructing the man to truly be a conduit!  This is the same thing Jesus wants for us.  He wants to use us more than you can ever imagine, but He cannot use you if you are not connected to Him.  Much like an electrical wire, if the wires are not touching that doesn't mean there isn't electricity, it simply means there can be no transfer.  

If you believe in Jesus Christ and that He was sent down from Heaven, put to death on the cross, and rose three days later, then you have been given eternal life!  Jesus gave it all so that you can have it all.  Jesus is our High King and he gave up everything to serve you.  Being a leader is difficult because you have to do the things that others can't or won't do.  Being a leader in Christ's eyes is all about being a servant to His will through obedience and through that being a servant to all those around you in the name of Christ.  This week I really hope you take these three things to heart:  1.  You are not yours, and because of that, 2. You have a seat at the King's table, and 3.  You are called to invite others to the table of glory and serve them as you have been so generously served!

Have a wonderful week!

Cameron

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