Spiritual Leadership - Chapter 3 - The Master's Master Principle

When you hear the word "servant" you probably think the lowest of the low. The people who do the work that no one else wants to do because they have no choice. When I think about servant I think of Cinderella slaving away. I think of the peasant servants who served Kings and Queens during the Medieval/Renaissance ages. There are so many stereotypes out there that lead to servant being unworthy, but when Jesus used the term it was a synonym for greatness. In Chapter 2 we discussed Moses, Gideon, David and Paul as being servants of God. To reiterate In Mark 10:43-45, "43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Even God sent his Son to be a servant. This is a hard pill to swallow for most. We must serve to show true leadership.

Many want to be servants in the Spiritual sense but are afraid of consequences. James and John wanted all the glory but not the shame or the cross. Matthew 19:28 tells us that James and John took Jesus seriously about sitting on thrones judging the tribes of Israel but were ignorant on how to do this. Jesus used this as a teaching point in Matthew 20:22 for sovereignty and suffering. Isaiah 42 explains the attitude and motives that the coming Messiah would demonstrate: Dependence, Approval, Modesty, Empathy, Optimism and Anointing.

David was completely dependent upon God from childhood throughout his reign. When he was tending sheep God protected him from the predators. When he went against Goliath, again God fought the battle for him. How many of us have the true faith to just put our battles into God's hands? Gideon faced a a 135,000 person army with only an army of 300 and never even had to engage the enemy due to their fighting among themselves. This is a very difficult idea to just depend on God to help you through whatever you are going through. It can be done! We must continually work on our relationship with God to achieve this. Remember it's all in God's plan, not yours.

Everyone tries to gain approval from someone mostly in the workplace, relationships or among friends on a daily basis. This is a flaw that we humans have. We all strive for that promotion at work. Many try to become the center of attention or the leader of the pack. Many try to gain the approval of the opposite sex. Our idea of approval is similar to the biblical principle but also different. Isaiah 42:1 says "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations." Luke 3:22 "and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Modesty is a major hurdle most of us face in our daily lives. Arrogance or a sense of entitlement often throw up roadblocks when one is trying to be modest. Dictionary.com defines modesty as "having or showing a moderate or humble estimate of one's merits, importance, etc.; free from vanity, egotism, boastfulness, or great pretensions." We all like to brag about the things we do. Matthew 4:5 is the story where the devil tempted Jesus to leap from the rooftop of the temple. Jesus could have made the jump without any issue, but held back to avoid the attention he would have received from it. We can all learn from this example in some way. Just because we have the ability to do something doesn't mean that we should do, especially when it is for personal gains or just for showing off.

Empathy is a very simple task to accomplish, but if done wrongly can result in a bad experience. True empathy is showing real concern. I work in a call center. Empathy is a huge part of what we do. We are problem solvers and troubleshooters for customers orders. Anytime a customer calls when something goes wrong that is a problem. I try to put myself in the customers shoes. I understand that they placed their trust in us to get them their product or gift in a timely manner. This is very frustrating for the customers. An apology goes a long way even if it isn't your fault. In Jesus sermon on the mount he shows true empathy and compassion in Matthew 5:1-12. Many know this passage as the Beatitudes.

Hope and optimism are essential to spiritual development and leadership. To simplify even more this is all about Faith. Romans 8:28 says "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." It is hard for us along with the dependency mentioned above to place total trust in God for everything we do. We may be facing battles of our own similar to what David and Gideon were facing with our own health, family, financial, home, spiritual or whatever you are currently facing. We just need to place these burdens at Jesus feet and have the faith that he will bring you through it.

Reflection

A. How can you tell when you are being a servant?

Everyday that I wake up, I wake up as a servant. Not only am I a servant at my workplace, I am also a servant to God's plan. Do I falter? You bet I do! I have a song by Matthew West called "Hello, My Name Is" that I try to live by. No matter what emotions life throws my way, this song reminds me that I am a Child of the one true King!

B. What examples would you use to explain the sovereignty and suffering principles of Spiritual Leadership to someone?

OK, the inner geek is going to come out in me. There will be another book Bible study coming that truly shows the inner geek. Getting back on topic, I would explain the line Ben Parker told to Peter Parker in the 2002 Spider-Man movie. "With great power there comes great responsibility." Nothing could be as clear as that. There is always consequences for your action. Some good, some bad, but there are consequences. As a result his uncle Ben was killed while Peter was out trying to save the world.

C. Isaiah 42 includes 6 characteristics of God's special servant, Jesus. Which one do you find the greatest challenge as you exercise leadership?

I find faltering and becoming discouraged the greatest challenge that I have. Life happens. i get it. Murphy's Law "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong" had to been written for my life. As long as I remain focused on placing my trust in the hands of the Father and having the faith that He will guide me through whatever I am going through, I know that if it is His Will, it will be done.

Chapter 4 - Natural and Spiritual Leadership - Pre-Reading Questions

1. What "natural" leadership qualities have others pointed out in you? What have you done with those observations?
2. In your opinion, what is the key difference between natural and spiritual leadership?
3. How is natural leadership transformed into spiritual leadership?