Read: Matthew 20: 25-28

Jesus called them to him and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Reflect:

Today I am headed to a meeting where the idea of leadership will undoubtedly be discussed. I’m sure there will be a number of valuable points, but when leadership is described in the Gospel it kinds of turns everything upside down, doesn’t it?

The verses above describe a very different view of leadership than what you’ll find in many of today’s best sellers, but I am reminded of a quote from Oswald Chambers. In his devotional book, My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers said the real test of a follower of Jesus is not “one’s willingness to preach the gospel, but one’s willingness to do something like washing the disciple’s feet – that is being willing to do those things that seem unimportant in human estimation but count as everything to God.”

So, leadership is discovered in serving. Our regular everyday lives present endless opportunities to serve Christ at home or work and in the local church. No opportunity is too small. Jesus told us that “whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. ”

Respond:

A Christian shows what he is by what he does with what he has. Instead of looking for opportunities to lead, we should be looking for ways to serve – leading by our example.