“The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was on Him.” (Luke 2:40, HCSB)
The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was on Him. Growth. It is the natural result of life. Where there is life there is growth. Where there is no life there is no growth.
The question is always the same: “Am I growing?” If the answer is, “Yes!” then life is present. Any other response means that we have a serious issue within.
Being a servant leader is all about growing … constantly growing into the person God is calling us to be. And, who is that? Paul answered our question for us two millennia ago when he wrote, “And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.” (Ephesians 4:11–13, HCSB)
Did you catch the end of that thought? “Growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.” When we look and act like Jesus, we will be grown! In other words, we have a lifetime of growth yet to accomplish. God is working in us to bring about that growth. That is what eternal life is all about. Eternal life brings eternal growth.
You, as a servant of King Jesus, have plenty of opportunities to learn as you lead. You won’t always get it right, that’s why you need humility. Rejoice that God has placed you in leadership and remain humbled that He, at any time, could take that leadership from us because of our misuse of His gift or the abuse of others.
What an awesome privilege to be a willing worker of King Jesus! We have the constant opportunity to bring the peace and presence of our King, Jesus, into each and every person we come in contact with.
Today, as you step out the door or into the next encounter, rejoice that Jesus has chosen to fill you with wisdom and grace to lead for Him! Lead boldly knowing that you are growing into the worker He loves!
Willing Worker Wednesdays are dedicated to explaining the core realities of servant leadership – the Biblical principles and methods used by God’s faithful people throughout time. They further reflect the lifestyle of Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords as He walked on this earth announcing the Kingdom of God had arrived. These brief lessons are written by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, and come from his extensive ministry within the local church, in higher education, in church consulting and as a Biblical author and leader. He welcomes your comments below.
