Before Leadership Comes…
What is leadership? Is it lording over others? In other words, does it mean to dominate and control others? Is it making the final decision after a discussion? Is it telling others what to do? What about influencing others to do your bidding? Is it having vision that others don’t have? Is it possessing a certain charisma?
Leadership can be either good or bad. On many levels leadership may contain varying amounts of some of the things mentioned above. But as I see it the ultimate example of leadership is Jesus. He came into the world humbly, as a child (Matthew 1:16; Luke 2:7). This Word, a way of speaking of Jesus’ pre-incarnate existence, was in the very beginning, not as a god, but as literal God (John 1:1). He was born a king (Matthew 2:1-2); certainly royalty bespeaks of leadership, if not immediately, imminently.
But what does this all have to do with leadership? Well, even though He was born a king (and is declared the King of Kings and Lord of Lords [I Timothy 6:13-16; Revelation 17:14]), what can we learn, in part, about His behavior? Our actions and behaviors scream to the world just what kind of leader we are.
Briefly, Jesus spent years learning under others (Luke 2:41-52) until the time came for Him to live out His purpose. It has been said that we are all role models, but who and what influenced us before others started to take notice of us? If we learned good things, have we strayed from the good? If we learned bad things, have we improved? Has the proverbial apple fallen far from the tree?
While none of us are sinless, it is important to recognize within us both the good and the bad, and then do our part to increase the good. We are all leaders in some respect and we will not live in our current state forever. So, what is it we hope to leave for our families and generations to come? In this first note on leadership, I would like to encourage us to take inventory of just what sort of person we have become, pray for insight from the Lord, and do those things necessary to get better. We never stop learning and are always teaching someone else. Don’t compare yourself to anyone except the man or woman you were yesterday. Be better than that person. The Master of all things, Christ Jesus Himself, will show you how. Let’s go to Him in sincere prayer and He will begin to mold you into the one He has always designed you to be. Blessings.