Failing to Do This One Thing Can Lead to the Destruction of Everything Else

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. “ ~ Mark 1:35 (English Standard Version)

An isolated park bench at just the right time of day; that is a scene that plays in my head more often than I care to admit. As an introvert I am keenly aware of the energizing power of getting away by myself. Practicing the discipline makes me better in every role I am called to in life. Full disclosure; I haven’t taken the time to get to do what I know is important for quite some time. I have to also admit that neglecting this discipline has taken a toll on me. Not taking time apart as a leader is simply asking for trouble. When a leader does this they are treading on thin ice.

Does my confession sound familiar to you? Could you have written those words? If you are a leader, with even a minimal amount of drive, it is probable that you neglect Sabbath, retreat, or solitude. We often believe that we are too valuable to take time off or that we are much better served to press just a bit farther. We overlook or ignore altogether the signs that we are wearing thin at the edges. Fatigue, lack of focus, irritability, sadness, or despondency can all be signs that we need to get away and be refreshed.

As I have been spending time in a coaching relationship recently, I’ve learned that not taking the time to refocus, refresh, revive, reconnect (whatever words may fit) has possibly made me less effective as a disciple, husband, father, and leader. Ironically, the very things we are striving for move further from our reach if we neglect to take time apart. Jesus knew the importance of taking time apart. It is important for every leader to intentionally dial time into their schedule when they will get away to be with God, hear his voice, and obey his command. Are you long overdue for such a time? If so, I encourage you to schedule it now. I am going to find a nice secluded bench somewhere and spend a day. Where is your favorite place to go?

 

Leadership Resolutions

Believe it or not, we’ve arrived at the end of another calendar year and the beginning of resolution season. Personally, I believe that we should resolve to be better and live more committed lives daily not just annually, but I can’t resist the call to be reflective at year’s end. There is something about section of time when one year ends and another begins, that moves people to think of starting anew. Truthfully, most of the resolutions that are made in the next several days will be forgotten in a month’s time, but that fact doesn’t at all diminish most people from announcing resolutions. Leaders are no different. As the curtain closes on the year 2010, and rises on 2011, here are a few resolutions that I believe would be beneficial for all leaders, and especially those that lead in churches.

1. Resolve to live balanced lives.

Leaders, in the same or greater proportion as the rest of the world, are typically living out of balance. Too much work, not enough rest. All worship, no serious study. Spend, spend, spend; not enough saving. Eat too much, exercise too little. Too task-oriented, not enough attention to relationships. Let’s be honest, balance takes work. It is a lot easier to lean to our areas of perceived strength or comfort, rather than to work to grow in the areas of our weakness. Some management philosophies, such as “staff to your weakness”, empower the notion to continue in our strengths rather than striving for relative balance in all areas. Some leaders have gone so long without any course correction, that they have developed blind spots to just how out of balance they are.

As leaders, we should strive to live balanced lives. Leaders should, at least annually, partake in some sort of assessment that will highlight where we need to improve. Ask others their opinions, seek counsel with denominational or business leadership. Leaders need to work towards balance in every area of life, not just in the office or boardroom. Family, health, and relationship with God cannot suffer for the sake of “leadership” excellence. Truthfully, the unbalanced leader exhibits little overall excellence.

2. Resolve to continue to learn and develop.

A disciple is, by definition, a lifelong learner. Leaders should never tire of learning, developing, and growing. Finished with formal education? Audit a course. Ready to write a book? That doesn’t mean that you can stop reading them yourself. Set some reading, learning, and professional development goals for yourself in the coming year. I believe that one of the issues with the church in America is that most of its believe that they are above being taught. Make strides to ensure that you are not counted among that number. Many leaders complain that those they lead don’t want to learn, or think that they know it all…make sure that they aren’t learning those habits from you. A wise person once told me that when a leader stops growing, those they lead stop growing.

3. Resolve to be counted among the servants, not the served.

Jesus, in Matthew 23, admonished the Pharisees for desiring Moses’ seat at tables of honor. The rulers of the synagogue, the ecclesiastical leaders of the time, perceived themselves to be those who deserved to be served due to their title and position. Sadly, there is a trend in contemporary Christianity that implies that clergy leaders are a different class of Christian. This class of leader deserves the service and adoration of those they lead. This line of clergy worship couldn’t stray further from the ministry of Christ. This year, let us all resolve to serve, rather than be served. If you don’t already, esteem others higher than yourself. Recognize that the cincture that girds the waist of a cassock represents the servant’s role of the minister. A minister is, by definition, a servant. To be called servant was good enough for Jesus, and for centuries it was good enough for those called to lead within the church. Now we have the proliferation of titles such as bishop, elder, overseer, and even apostle. Whatever your title, resolve, that in the new year, you will be known by the name…servant.

4. Resolve not to compromise integrity for the sake of growth.

Recently, I listened to John Piper preach a sermon, in which he admonished a group of leaders not to sell the gospel. By this he meant that they should not compromise the integrity of the gospel message for the sake of crowds or cheap growth. Believe it or not, we do not get to determine, as leaders, when growth occurs. We do not control growth. God gives the increase. The Lord prepares the harvest. What a leader does control, is whether all the elements of healthy environments for growth are present. We get to ensure the integrity of the soil and the seed planted. We get to be faithful in our nurture of the seed. But the increase, the growth, is in God’s control. In the coming year, allow the discernment of the Spirit of God to reign. Say no to shortcuts that undermine the truth that is in the gospel message. Don’t follow the crowds into the use of the latest ministry techniques that promise to grow your attendance. Expose heresy, by shedding light upon it. The lines of one of my favorite hymns gives us a lead…”How to reach the masses? Men of every birth. For an answer, Jesus gave the key. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. Lift him up!” Lift Jesus up…still he speaks from eternity!

Above all else, I pray that we all, in this coming year, continue to grow in the grace, peace, knowledge, and likeness of our Lord. Stay blessed.

 

The Blizzard That Never Was, and What It Should Teach Us About Pastoral Leadership

As I write this post, I sit holed up in my home, fireplace ablaze and the coffee maker filling the house with the scent of its hazelnut brew. With plenty of leftover delicacies from Christmas dinner, my family and I were prepared to remain sequestered as the first blizzard of the winter approached. Frankly, I was gratefully looking forward to the snow, and my gratitude was increased because it had held off until Sunday morning worship service was completed. It is this point, which is the crux of this post.

Pastors up and down the east coast of the United States were frantically or worriedly watching weather reports over the past twenty-four hours, wondering if they would need to cancel Sunday morning services on the day after Christmas. Many faced the promised storm with bravado, feigned or otherwise, proclaiming that nothing could or would prevent them from holding service on Sunday morning. I listened to some, and read the responses of others, as many publicly professed what they were going to do. As I observed, only periodically adding my opinion, I remembered where I used once stood philosophically.

When we began Harvest Christian Fellowship, nearly four years ago, I was full of the zeal and bravado that I heard and read from many of my contemporaries in pastoral ministry. There wasn’t a thing that would prevent me from opening the doors of the church on Sunday morning. It couldn’t rain, snow, sleet, or hail enough to dissuade me from leading that merry band of saints in worship, praise, and adoration of our Lord. There was a “word” from the Lord, and neither “devil” nor force of nature would prevent me from getting it to the saints. The additional, hinted to, and sometimes painfully obvious companion reason was a financial one; Sunday was our chief, nearly sole, giving opportunity. If Sunday service was canceled, how would the church survive. I am able to be transparent and admit that this was going through my mind. I am able to also pull back the veil and say that I believe much of the bravado and “by any means necessary” pastoral declarations have much to do with this as well.

Last winter put my philosophy to the test. There was over a foot of snow in December 2009, another major storm in January 2010, and then finally the blizzard of February 2010. In December 2010, I waited until the last possible moment to cancel Sunday service, and worried that church finances would suffer. They didn’t; men and women brought their tithes and offering to the church during the week, or the next week. When January weather threatened to force cancellation I again waited to make the decision, although with less angst. The outcome was the same. By the time the blizzard arrived in February, my philosophy had changed, and the decision was simple. What changed? I, through the message of the gospel, gained an even clearer picture of what it means to be a pastoral leader.

A shepherd lays down his life for the flock that he is charged to keep. Our model for this is Christ. To his detriment, he thought of us first. So it should be in pastoral ministry. I began to reflect on the influence that we, as servants of Christ, are given in the lives of those we serve. There are, I came to understand more clearly, people who will “go” simply because the pastoral leadership has said that it is the right thing to do. That means that there are a number of families, however small the number, that would clean off their cars and attempt to make their way to church just because the pastor said the doors would open. I was confronted with answering this question to myself…what would I do if even one of those families were injured on the way to or from church because our “proof” that we were zealous for God was to venture out in bad weather? I would feel horrible, and rightly so. Jesus came to deliver us; he arrived to lead us away from harm. His Spirit came to continue to do the same, as he sanctifies us and keeps us holy. By extension, pastoral leadership is called to have the best interest of the people in mind.

God is not impressed that we keep our church buildings open in snowstorms or blizzards. He doesn’t care that a few hardy souls put on snowshoes or drove snow mobiles and made it to church. The fruit that glorifies God are transformed and holy lives, and these are lived throughout the year. I would encourage pastoral leaders to reevaluate why we do what we do, as it pertains to bad weather closings or ministry offerings. Bragging rights as the bravest or most committed to preaching in bad weather aren’t impressive credentials in the end. Did you put the wholeness and welfare of God’s people above yourself? An affirmative answer to that question is far more impressive. By the way, the blizzard that was threatening to cancel service yesterday morning has been downgraded to four to six inches. The time sequestered with family was still priceless.

 

Courageous Leadership Needed

Let me state right here at the beginning that this is a rant. I believe that it is founded in fact and truth, but it is a rant nonetheless. The Christian Church in the U.S. is in need of more courageous leadership.

There was a time in the Church’s history in this country when it led the charge in many areas, both spiritually and culturally. For the most part, those times have passed. There are still ministries whose leaders are determined to stand with their integrity intact, while boldly advancing Christ’s mission and agenda. Sadly, the majority of Christian leaders are content to be cheap knock-offs of whatever leader or ministry seems to be the most popular at the time. This is not just sad, its dangerous.

Many of our burgeoning leaders are weaned in the vast wasteland of Christian television. Before you type in another web address and write me off, remember that this is a rant and hear me out. Not all Christian television is bad, but most only exemplifies the lack of courageous leadership that I am lamenting in this post.

Courageous leadership doesn’t follow the crowd, but stays on the path of righteousness. Courageous leadership has a clearly articulated set of beliefs to protect itself from being swayed by every wind of doctrine. Courageous leadership has God’s mission and vision as the only aim and measure of ministry success. Courageous leadership doesn’t equate the amassing of personal wealth, influence, or titles as the only measure of being in God’s will or favor. Courageous leadership is willing to make difficult decisions, to the detriment of oneself, to ensure the success of Christ’s mission.

I’m seeing too many clones of self-serving at best, heretical at worst leaders launching ministries these days. Glitz and glamour are not prerequisites to effectiveness in ministry. They may draw a crowd, but they won’t grow a people. A question that I asked many times prior to responding affirmatively to the urge to start a church was?”why does God need another Church?” What will the ministry of your church do differently from the thousands that exist, to advance his mission?

Some leaders need to find the courage to change and do ministry for God, not themselves. Some leaders need to find the courage to speak with the voice they feel inside, regardless of the crowd’s response. Some leaders need to find the courage to seek another vocation, and allow God to put a truly courageous leader in their place.

Stay blessed.

 

Something Else Good to Read

Even with a lot of writers taking a mini break fro the Thanksgiving Day holiday, there were still a lot of good things to read. Here are just a few. Enjoy.

• Michael Spencer over at Internet Monk.com wrote a great post on Christian Community and Abandoning Commitment. In the post Michael deals with the notion that while contemporary forms of evangelicalism have done much for church growth, they have done little to develop a true sense of Christian community. Its a good, thought-provoking post that calls for leaders to rethink our notion of “church”.
• If you are a preacher, or even if you’ve only listened to one, I’m sure that you will agree with Peter Mead’s assessment of a temptation that all preachers face–using one text to preach another. Preach It From The Right Passage is a post from Biblical Preaching.
• Whether you believe in luck or not (personally, I don’t), you can benefit from the 4 tips in Jon Gordon’s blog post Enhance Your Luck.
• Finally, two posts from George Ambler at The Practice of Leadership. Are you living the Leadership Challenge, and The Lesson of the Moth. Both are good reads. If you are familiar with the foundational leadership book The Leadership Challenge, then you will enjoy being reminded of the principles that the book espouses that all extraordinary leaders should exemplify. The second post is just great to me, calling leaders to stop playing it so safe all the time.

 

Something Else Good to Read

Every Monday I will begin to post some of the more interesting things that I am reading in the Blogosphere or in print. Here it goes for this week. Enjoy! I did!

• Over at The Batterson Blog, Mark Batterson wrote an interesting article on how he sees influence being redefined.
• In “Is your behavior damaging trust“, George Ambler at The Practice of Leadership highlights an the 25 behaviors that contribute to building mistrust on a team. These are insights George pulled from an article in Management-issues.
• “Become a better leader with 30 day experiments” is another good post that George Ambler gleaned from and article in Management-issues. It is well worth the read. It would be interesting to hear what some of you were able to do in 30 days.

 

Narrow Way Leadership

I recently read a blog post at The Practice of Leadership that set my mind thinking. The post, Leadership is About Blazing New Trails, was actually in line with the sermon that I preached on Sunday and where my mind has been for several quarters at least.

Let me begin with the requisite disclaimer. I believe that many churches within the contemporary Western expressions of Christianity are genuinely seeking to know and do the will of Jesus Christ. The evidence can be seen in many of the programs that are reaching into and transforming communities and individual lives. Many Christian leaders truly believe that they are hearing and obeying the voice of God, with many seeking that voice in the venues offered at the plethora of conference offerings.

With that said, I believe that there are an equal number of blindly groping copycats within contemporary Western Christianity. Those who believe that the will of God for their leadership context is to follow the leader, and do whatever seems to be working down the street. These leaders aimlessly wander from conference to conference, bookstore to bookstore, in an attempt to catch the next “wave” to successful ministry. The saddest indictment of this seemingly never ending trend is the long trail of sincere men and women who believe they are following God’s “anointed” man or woman.

You might ask, “what does this have to do with anything” or “how can you be so sure that they aren’t doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing”? I’m so glad that you asked. It should be clear to the discerning Christian that our call in Scripture was always designed to be one that didn’t gain wide acceptance. We are called to walk through the narrow gate by Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14. Peter says that we are a “peculiar” people in 1 Peter 2:9. It was God’s intention that we be a people set apart from the world we are called to influence. This doesn’t mean that we are an elitist, separatist, xenophobic group who believes that unity and uniformity are synonyms. Neither does it mean that we are a people who tolerate sin, and skewed interpretations of Scripture for the purpose of inclusion. It means that we are people who are called to be the unique possession of God himself.

Here is the rub. Much of what is passed off as Christian leadership (and as a result, Christian ministry), is neither unique or possessed of God. In many areas it is, in fact, compromising, without spark, and a retread of some well-worn idea from a self-proclaimed guru. If it is nothing else, Christian ministry is meant to be incarnational. Christian leaders, ministries, and those within them are supposed to be the manifest expression of Jesus Christ in whatever context they find themselves in. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23,

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews, I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I share with them in its blessings.

Paul knew that in order to reach the very ones that Christ died for, he would be required to step outside of the box. He would have to become an exegete of the culture he was seeking to reach, and translate the gospel into a language they could understand. All of this was to be accomplished without “dumbing down” the message, accepting sinfulness as normal, or in any other way compromising the name of Christ. All of these elements are essential for narrow way leadership. We must make the gospel message relevant without compromising its truths. We must confront injustice and sin, without becoming legalists. We must be cutting edge in our approaches to outreach and evangelism, without embracing heresy or indulging “itching ears.”

I lament the fact that there are few narrow way leaders in contemporary Western Christianity. I also lament the fact that those who are narrow way leaders, are either marginalized, persecuted, or eventually themselves become the stale establishement that they were sent to replace.

 

Servanthood Should Be At Our Core

I formerly belonged to a church that transitioned from a denominational expression to a non-denominational one. In this transition, the church embraced the tenets of the neo-pentecostal, charismatic, and apostolic movements. One of the hallmarks of the neo-pentecostal movements is an embracing of a new type of episcopal structure. This church, along with about six others, founded an episcopal organization and elected one of the pastors the bishop. While, hierarchical in nature, as are most episcopal structures, it was supposed to be a “relational” episcopacy. This episcopal structure was to be driven by the relationships among the leaders, and not by the positions or ranks that they held.

While the movement has many of the flaws that are inherent in a charisma-driven, hierarchically-structured, blind loyalty-demanding system, there was one very visual aspect that espouses what it means to be a servant at the core. This post is not meant to be a statement regarding my support or disdain for neo-pentecostalism or the proliferation of “reformations” and “apostolic networks, but simply a testimony of the symbolic nature inherent in some of the trappings and their underlying meaning for servant leadership.

At the inception of the group, I was able to witness and participate in the consecration of a bishop. The service was filled with pageantry and symbolism. The spirit of God filled the sanctuary, and emotions were overflowing. But underneath all of the outward pageantry, liturgy, and anthems was a prominent yet inconspicuous fact–the new Bishop, even in his dress, proclaimed his role as servant.

While studying the episcopacy in preparation for this auspicious event, I studied the various garments that bishops adorn themselves with. During the consecration service the new bishop was vested in these garments, layer after layer. I can only imagine that the many layers of garments were both heavy and hot. This fact alone can be seen as a metaphor for the weight and pressure inherent in the office to which a bishop, as chief servant, is called.

The bishop is first dressed in a cassock. The cassock is a simple, straight, unadorned garment that symbolizes the servanthood of the one wearing it. The next garment worn is the cincture. The cincture is a cummerbund type belt that girds the waist of the wearer, and symbolizes the humility of the wearer. It is fashioned after the towel that Jesus girded himself with as he washed the disciples’ feet. The rochet symbolizes the wearer’s role as priest, and is fashioned after the ephod worn by Aaron and his sons. The chimere is worn over the rochet, and symbolizes the prophetic role of the wearer, proclaiming his/her role as Chief Preacher and Defender of the Faith. The zucchetto is placed upon the bishop’s head. This skull cap is symbolic of prayer and submission.

The celebration garments that adorn the bishop are worn at various times, and include the cope (a cloak-like garment), the chasuble (worn during the celebration of the Lord’s Supper), the mitre (a head covering that embodies symbols of the cloven tongues of fire and the Holy Spirit), the crosier (Shepherd’s staff), and the bishop’s ring (symbolizing episcopal collegiality).

It is clear that there are many garments that are worn simultaneously (although not all listed above are worn at the same time), but it is the order of the garments that bears a closer look. The garments themselves symbolize many things; priesthood, prophet, defender of the faith, chief preacher, prayer, episcopal collegiality, worship, etc. But the first garment adorned, the cassock, is the most important. This foundational garment speaks volumes to the role that the bishop, and by extension all Christians, are called to fulfill.

Undergirding every other role that the bishop is called to play, is a servant. The cassock represents this well; a simple garment without gold or silver buttons or adornment. A close fitting garment that, along with its cincture, reminds the wearer that he/she is not to be exalted. It reminds them of the life of Jesus Christ, who though he was God, did not perceive this fact as something to be grasped. Christ took upon himself willingly the form of a servant. That is the call for all who would seek higher service in the Lord–it is a call to servanthood in greater degrees. While the other garments sport ruffled or adorned cuffs, gold clasps, or are made from ornate fabrics, under all of these are the garments of a simple servant.

The message is simple. It doesn’t matter what position in ministry you hold. Whether bishop, priest, pastor, brother, deacon, usher, choir member, janitor, or cook, we are all called to be servants at the core. God doesn’t care how we dress ourselves outwardly, he merely cares what exists underneath of it all. Are you a servant at your core? Do you exist for the outward trappings that others will see? Is your motivation to climb the ladder of church hierarchy? If so, then look at the top and take your cue from there. Christ, at his core was a servant. Christ said “whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant.”

 

Servant-Leadership Defined

In the inaugural post for this blog I discussed the fact that our current notion of leadership is in need of transformation. The leadership paradigm that I believe is best able to position leaders in both the sacred and secular arenas for long-term efficiency and mission success is servant-leadership. There are many varied definitions of servant-leadership being espoused in the world today, with all of them have similar characteristics and origins. Allow me to define what I mean when using the term, servant-leadership. This definition has been refined (and may be refined even more) through reading other definitions, and personal experience.

I define a servant-leader as one who, by intentionally serving and sacrificing for the needs of others, is able to influence them toward common goals.

 

The Flow of Service

just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

I recently had a conversation with a denominational leader who spoke words that articulated his heart as a servant leader. He said, “service doesn’t flow to me, service flows from me.” He, as a leader of over 70 churches and nearly 10,000 Christians, viewed himself as the servant of the local church. He believed that if military terminology were used, and he were a general (a district leader within a denomination), then his responsibility would be to ensure that the men and women at the front lines (the local church) were more than adequately equipped to fulfill their mission. “My role exists”, he said, “so that men like you can acheive the goal of Christ.”

The words of Christ, quoted at the beginning of this post are profound. So too, are the words of the quoted denominational leader. Unfortunatley, these words seem to have fallen upon deaf ears among the current crop of church leaders. Glancing at the charismatic leaders of this generations model churches give one the distinct impression that service is to be rendered to the leaders, rather than by the leaders. Many of today’s leaders believe that a sign of their success is the number of persons who are “called” to serve as their personal adjutants or armorbearers; many of these well meaning men and women being taught a perverted meaning of these ministries of service.

Let me cut to the point. It is not designed by God that service flow to church leaders, but that it flow from them to those they lead. This is the essence of servant leadership. I know that some reading this will immediately desire to quote every known verse in Scripture that you believe justifies the extravagance, and over the top lifestyles of many leaders today. Let me say, without being harsh, save it! For every verse that you quote, I will give one that demonstrates the leader’s call to give their life for others. I don’t begrudge anyone the opportunity to provide food, clothing, and shelter for their family. However, being sober adults, we must realize that much of what is being done in Christendom today is at best selfish.

Excuse the rant, but I have grow weary of men who have not resisted to the point of shedding blood in their striving against sin continually lifting up their “inheritance and kingly anointing.” We, the Church, have allowed the name of Christ to be hijacked by those who are in it to make a name for themselves and find fortune. These twenty-first century soothsayers promise much and deliver little, while making sure that their ‘cover charge’ is paid in advance. Enough ranting, back to the point. Christ makes a clear case for what the life of a servant leaders is to be.

A leader is not called in order to be served

Our call and station as leaders, while a high calling, is not one that gives us an exalted position over others. In Matthew 20:25, Jesus makes this point clear. The secular leaders in His day practiced this type of leadership, a leadership where they lorded their position over others. Christ plainly told the disciples that it was not to be that way among us.

A Christian leader is called to serve others

We are called to be servants. This means that our primary duty as leaders is to do what other persons need done to aid, benefit, or assist them. Seeing ourselves, while fulfilling these duties, as living a life like our Savior should bring us great joy.

Too many leaders see this model of leadership as being weak, soft, or allowing oneself to be taken advantage of. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you have ever been in a restaurant, a good waitperson can be an excellent illustration of a servant. This person looks forward to, takes pride in, and strives to do whatever is asked of them by the person being served. They will take your order, make sure the order is filled, exchange the order if incorrect, and generally see to it that your dining experience is an enjoyable one. In their eyes they cannot be taken advantage of because they have chosen to serve. This means that whatever they are asked to do, is what they are there for in the first place. So it is with the leader serving in the mold of Christ. If God has called me to lead as a servant, then whatever I am called to do is what I will do. This remains true because I remember that service flows from me, and not to me.

A Christian leader’s life is meant to be given

The servant leader finds joy in giving of themself, because that is their purpose. The servant leader who doesn’t give their life in service to others feels like a dinner plate that is used like a chair; out of place. As a servant leader you are fulfilled in giving yourself to other people. Christ knew that even above the miracles, teachings, and fulfilling of the Law there was the purpose for which He came; to give His life. If He had only healed the sick, raised the dead, taught the ignorant, and fed the hungry, then He would have been incomplete. A servant must give themeselves.

In sowing their life a Christian leader blessed many

Jesus said, in John 12:24, “…unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” When we willing sow our lives unselfishly into the lives of the people we are called to lead, then we bear much fruit. Believe me when I say that this is much more than the fruit that is borne when we reverse the flow of service.

Bottom line

My beginning rant aside, we need to drastically revise our view of leadership in the Western church. We need to stop following the “flavor of the month” prophet/apostle/bishop who has a “fresh word” that is guaranteed to bless our lives, and go back to following Jesus. We need to remember the admonitions of Christ in Matthew 23. In this text He rebukes the double-standard laden living of the Pharisees and scribes. He says that these men lay heavy burdens upon men, burdens that they are unwilling to lift themselves. They say things (for others to do), but do not do them themselves. They love the best seats and the exalted titles, but ultimatley the one who will be exalted will be the servant. Stay blessed.