Servant Leaders

Mark 10:43  But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant…

I am the third generation of pastors in my family. My Grandpa and my Uncle Bill were great examples of today’s verse. They served the people of their churches. It was drilled into my pea-sized brain from the beginning that a good pastor serves his people. He puts their needs ahead of his own.

At one of my youth ministry positions, the Senior Pastor and I had very different styles. Every time the church had a potluck he would go right to the front of the line. He called it, “The privilege of the ministry.” I told him the privilege of the ministry was to wait until everyone was served, then eat. That way you knew there was enough food for everyone. He just shook his head and headed to the front.

If you truly want to be a leader in God’s Kingdom you have to learn to serve. As a leader, you put the needs of others ahead of your own. That’s not always easy, but that’s the way Jesus did it. He said, For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

If anybody could have gone to the front of the line, it was Jesus! Instead, he did servant things like preaching and healing even when he was tired, and giving his life for us. This idea of servant leadership works in your home, your job, everywhere you go. White gloves are not necessary to serve, only a heart that listens to God.