“Now the people were waiting expectantly, and all of them were debating in their minds whether John might be the Messiah. John answered them all, “I baptize you with water, but One is coming who is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to untie the strap of His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing shovel is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and gather the wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with a fire that never goes out.” Then, along with many other exhortations, he proclaimed good news to the people.” (Luke 3:15–18, HCSB)
I baptize you with water, but One is coming who is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to untie the strap of His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Do you have a self-inflated estimation of your own worth? Does your world revolve around you? When people come into your presence, is it all about you? Do you listen to them or do you wait for them just to stop talking so you can continue?
Selfishness is such cancer in our souls. It is the exact opposite of the heart of anyone who has surrendered to the King of kings and Lord of lords. In fact, we must be honest here; someone with a self-centered attitude and lifestyle broadcasts their lack of allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Not My will, but Yours, be done.”(Luke 22:42, HCSB) THIS is the center of the heart of the true leader of Jesus. When we choose to follow Jesus we choose to imitate Him. We choose to take on His heart and attitude toward life and ministry.
True Christ-driven leadership is always servanthood. We serve as Jesus did. As Paul commanded us, we are to, “walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.” (Ephesians 5:2, HCSB)
And there it is! Servant driven leadership is about love for others, a love that chooses to sacrifice for others, even those who hate and abuse us. We do this because we imitate the Lord of Life, the one who loves us so much. We pour out our lives for others, even to the point of our deaths, as a sacrifice and a fragrant offering to our God.
This is what it means to be a servant leader. This is who you are!
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.
