Rev. Johnson V.
23rd January 2011

We can learn much about leadership from the Bible. Our Lord Jesus showed us how, with proper leadership, one can permanently impact the world. Our concept of leadership is slightly warped. We tend to think that people are leaders because they have attained a certain degree/experience or because they possess a particular title. But leadership is not about position or title. It is a function of service.

Leadership is not about being waited upon by subordinates; instead it is about servicing them. For example, our government leaders are in those positions to serve the country not to be served by the country. Leadership is how we handle ourselves; it is the lens through which we see ourselves. While anointing is a gift, leadership is about our character. True leadership is not claimed, but it is freely given when people around us realize that our work is worthwhile. Mother Theresa never asked to become famous, she didn’t have the time to campaign for popularity. Yet she was given that space, because people saw value in the work she did. Leadership is not about position, but rather of character. Integrity is doing and thinking right, while leadership is about serving.

Each of us have the potential to be great leaders – our God will give us the grace to be effective leaders. We have been given authority to be the head and not the tail, to trample on snakes, scorpions and every vile thing – we are meant to dominate. But a change is needed, a change in how we do things. Someone once described insanity as ‘doing the same thing, but expecting a different result each time’. God will not perform miracles on our behalf, if we can do something about it. God will only work a miracle in our lives, when we desperately need it. God is looking for leaders, but He is looking only amongst those who lead themselves. David was one of God’s choicest leaders. God observed his heart when he was in the obscurity of the pastureland. David lead himself to worship, to have faith and to be faithful when he was looking after sheep and God knew that he could be trusted to look after his people.

Our Lord Jesus taught his disciples many things through parables. And when He wanted to teach them about leadership, He said little, but He picked up a basin and a towel and washed their feet. His actions spoke volumes. Leadership has very little to do with how powerful one is, rather it has everything to do with how willing one is, to serve. Just as a coin has two sides to it and its value is derived from both sides of it, leadership too derives its value when the other side of the coin, service, is duly dispensed.

As children of God, we are ordinary people with an extraordinary destiny. We do not live for ourselves. We must be prepared to serve. Service requires us to ‘give away’ our time, talents, strengths etc. Service requires us to work with others, so that they can see Christ in us. A leader must be willing to lose the quarrel in order to win the war. A leader must be willing to put self aside, in order to win the person over.

Let us take stock of what we have in our lives – if it is beneficial, it stays. But if it is not beneficial, we must be committed to removing it from our lives. If a particular habit is not beneficial to us, let us work hard at overcoming it. Our God will strengthen us. We must take leadership over our lives, over who we are, over our finances, our health. Leadership requires us to recognize our God-given potential and then realizing that our ultimate goal is to serve. We need to be gracious leaders, like our Saviour.