The subject of leadership is a hot topic in business and society. Whether it’s because people want to become better leaders or trying to discern what to look for in a leader, people are thirsty to learn more about the concept of leadership. For example, when you do a search for “leadership books” on Amazon, it will generate over 70,000 results that fall under that subject.
There are books, there are workshops, there are podcasts and conferences. And yet, people often overlook the best resource of leadership training – God’s Word. And, what is God’s “leadership philosophy?” Let’s take a look at Mark 10:42-45…
“Jesus called them over and said to them, ‘You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. But it is not so among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave to 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.’”
True leaders serve. The Son of God, who was present at the beginning and creation of the world (John 1:1-5) came to be a servant. More importantly, He didn’t just “talk the talk.” He taught leadership through the best possible means – He taught by example. In John 13:1-17, just before His betrayal, we see Christ performing the task of a servant, and washing the apostles’ feet. This was not a “good job” for a servant to get. People of this time didn’t have the benefits that we have today in many places in the United States with carefully designed roads, paved with concrete and asphalt with carefully laid sidewalks to make it easy and safe for you to walk from one point to another. Roads in Jesus’s time were dusty and rocky and unless you were blessed enough to own a donkey, a horse, or a camel, you walked everywhere you went. People’s feet were filthy and disgusting.
And yet Christ took on the role of a slave and washed the feet of the disciples. And in so doing, He gave them an example to follow. In verse 15, He tells the disciples “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” The Son of God stopped for a few moments the night before He was to be crucified on the cross and humbled Himself to show His disciples what true service looks like.
Leave a Reply