Servant Leadership

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

– Mark 9:35

Consider it our Book of Life — God’s words for us to live by. 

It’s through the Bible's pages that we learn our Creator not only loves us, but he will do whatever it takes to have an everlasting relationship with us. We also discover that God’s ways aren’t our ways. And his thoughts aren’t our own.

That’s quite an understatement. For example, the world teaches us to beat the competition, climb the corporate ladder and keep up with the neighbors (and then pass them by). We must have the biggest, the best and the shiniest. And we also need to drive the right car and have the right job. After all, life is all about us. 

There’s little room for humility with that attitude. But God invites Christ-followers to see things from his perspective: To be first, we must be last — and the servant of all. Of course, this viewpoint turns things totally inside out. And that invites a question:

How much better would the world be if we adopted a servant’s attitude and put the interests of others before our own?

Jesus responded by example. First, he willingly surrendered his advantages as God’s only son. He was born amidst humble circumstances — in a lowly animal feeding trough. When he grew older, he made a workingman’s living as a carpenter. And he could have lived in splendor as the King of Kings. But instead, Christ chose a nomadic existence to teach the Good News of salvation to his people. 

Of course, Jesus’ ultimate act of humility was to suffer the fate of a common criminal — one that he didn’t deserve because of his sinless, fault-free life. His was a horrific death on a cross to pay for the countless ways we’ve all failed to live up to God’s perfect standards.

How can we acquire Christ's remarkable servant-leader attitude? 

Above all, we must embrace our blessings by recognizing the wonderful things God has done for us — and continues to do for us every day. Without him, we are nothing. But through him, all things are possible.

Embracing servant-leadership to make God’s ways and thoughts our own will never be society’s formula for success. But when we turn our backs on the world and follow The Way, we’ll see that it’s through humility — not ambition — that both we and the world change for the better. 

Mission Statement

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

– Colossians 3:23-24

Many companies and organizations have a mission statement, which is a written declaration that sets out their purpose, work and goals. For example, CSX Corporation strives to “… be the safest, most progressive North American railroad, relentless in the pursuit of customer and employee excellence.” Levi Strauss & Co.’s mission statement says, “People love our clothes and trust our company. We will market the most appealing and widely worn casual clothing in the world. We will clothe the world.” Meanwhile, The Hershey Company — the manufacturer of delicious treats such as Twizzlers, Hershey’s Kisses and Reese’s peanut butter cups — gets right down to business with its stark mission statement: “Undisputed Marketplace Leadership.”

A common denominator here is the principle of return on investment, primarily to the organizations’ customers and stockholders. After all, these companies understand that they would not exist without their investors’ ongoing confidence and support. Likewise, their backers expect to see positive results from the company in one form or another.  

This is hardly a new concept. About 2,000 years ago, Jesus told a story about a master who gave three servants a considerable amount of money (“talents”) to invest while he was away on an extended trip. After a while, the master returned to claim what was his. He was very pleased with the first two servants, who had invested what he had given them and doubled the master’s money. But it wasn’t so with the third servant, who feared his master’s stern reputation and sought to avoid a loss. He played it safe and literally buried the money in a hole in the ground. The master was displeased, to say the least! Instead of commending the servant’s concern for safeguarding his resources, he was furious because of the wasted opportunity to invest and multiply his treasure.

That’s where Jesus’ mission statement for his followers enters the picture. God has given us various resources, skills, opportunities and circumstances for investing in the spiritual lives of others. They could be as close as your spouse, sibling or child. But they might be a co-worker, neighbor or someone God puts in your path at a most unexpected moment.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you,” Jesus assured his apostles, “and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

How are you using the talents God has given you? Are you investing them boldly in the lives of others — or are you simply playing it safe? It’s through Jesus that our mission is possible.

All In a Day's Work

He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

– Luke 10:2

Thinking about switching jobs … or considering a new career? 

Now might be the time. The workplace has changed in the wake of COVID-19, and many jobs — particularly in the transportation, manufacturing, and construction industries — are going unfilled. Even so, landing that dream job is often a job itself — even in the best of circumstances. Employers are on the lookout for experienced, can-do candidates who meet some exacting criteria. And those who fail to impress won’t make it to that critical second interview.

The first hurdle is proving that you can do the job. A smart strategy is to share stories with the interviewer about how you’ve met challenges and succeeded at other organizations. Personality is also a factor. Even if you’re well-qualified, you probably won’t get the job if the employer doesn’t sense the right chemistry. And are you a risk? In other words, do you have a reputation for being difficult to manage? Meanwhile, you must be affordable. There are many well-qualified professionals in the job market, so employers can eliminate you from consideration if they think your salary expectations are unreasonable.

Fortune 500 companies aren’t the only ones with such high standards. For example, Christ-followers are tasked with being a bright light of hope in a dark, troubled world. And since it’s such an important job that can yield eternal, life-changing rewards, only certain candidates are considered. First, they must be available on an as-needed basis. (Expect to work some overtime, weekends and holidays!) They must also follow the Boss’ (Jesus) instructions — even if what he says doesn’t make much sense at the time. Christ-followers should be humble in their work and share the credit whenever it’s due. And to top it off, they need to demonstrate initiative and seek opportunities to help others and make a difference.

Is it any wonder that most folks won’t respond to Christ’s help wanted ad? To borrow the U.S. Navy’s old recruiting slogan, “It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure.” Here’s how Luke’s gospel records Jesus’ words to his would-be candidates:

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”

Landing a job can be difficult — even in today’s economy. But here’s some good news: Jesus is hiring right now for his organization’s growing team. And many of his highest producers had no previous experience in the field. Sure, the working conditions aren’t always ideal. But there are plenty of rewards along the way … and the retirement plan is out of this world!

City of Joy

And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.

– Deuteronomy 10:19

Our indebted nation is divided politically, inflation is on the rise and we’re still battling the effects of COVID-19. If you believe the news media, there’s not much to feel joyous about these days. But the truth is that millions around the world would do just about anything to trade places with us. That’s because even the poorest of the poor in the United States are considered rich (at least statistically) when compared with the rest of the humanity.

If that thought doesn’t brighten your day, maybe the City of Joy will put things into perspective. In his book of the same name, author Dominique Lapierre writes about Anand Nagar (“The City of Joy”), which is a slum in the center of Kolkata, India. Its residents are of different castes and religions, but they tirelessly help one another in the midst of grinding poverty and injustice. As one book critic described it, Lapierre met people there who possessed nothing, yet seemed to have everything. The City of Joy was a place where the innocent actually thrived on poverty because of their freedom from care and zest for life. In fact, Lapierre found more heroism, joy and happiness in the Indian slums than in many cities of the affluent West. It was these unlikely residents who turned a place of darkness into a City of Joy.

As Christ-followers, our relationship with Jesus grants us literal access to our Creator — a loving Father who hears our prayers and looks for ways to bless us. So no matter how bad things get in our lives, we already know that our ultimate story will end on a very positive note. Jesus’ idea when he sent out his original disciples 2,000 years ago — as well as you and me today — is to reach the world with his message of grace and joy, and put off our selfish concerns and desires. What’s more, he wants us to show compassion to a broken and needy world. Following Christ means following the example he set: feeding, clothing and providing resources to refugees and the poor who would otherwise do without. As we read in Proverbs 31: 8-9:

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.