Servant Leadership

 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 (NIV)

Leadership is all about serving others. It is not about being served.  It is not the position, the status it brings, or the title one gets. However, it is about an aptitude and attitude because if you take on a position with the wrong mindset and attitude, life will be miserable. Your reign or tenure in the position maybe long or short, but it will be thwarted with conflict and confusion. Whether we desire to own, admit or agree with it, leaders dictate the temperature of their organization, group, or team. We know a tree by the fruit it bears, and we know who you are by the people you lead. Julius was right when he told Bertier in the movie Remember the Titans –Julius: Attitude reflects leadership, captain. This was pivotal point in the movie where all things begin to change. However, it would have never changed, if Bertier was not willing to own, what he already knew; he had to change. Was he a bad or inadequate leader? No, but he fell victim to the attitude- it worked before, or this is what, I have always done. When you are a leader, you can’t be stagnate but you must be principled with patience, integrity, and courage. When you know, you are there to serve, not just to be served; you are able to evolve as your duties, responsibilities expand.   It is about attitude, not a title or a birthright.

In the verses above, we have traditionally heard about them when it comes to salvation but it also speaks to servant leadership. Servant leadership embodies these: God so loved the world, He gave, serving; that whosoever believe in him, shall not perish, serve; and came to save, not condemn, serve. Serve means to assist, supply, attend, provide, or fulfill; all things Jesus did by coming to earth. He also knew, He was here to serve. Over and over again, we find the Anointed One serving whether it is cleaning feet, offering drink, feeding, or healing people. The definitive description in how to be a servant leader is in the life of Christ, and as a result we seek to serve him. His attitude, aptitude delivered in a cloak of unconditional love, fastened in place with unlimited mercy, knitted with another chance forgiveness, andpolished with continuous grace to keep us. And although, we are not perfect and cannot replicate it, we can come to the position of leadership with the right attitude and mindset; service. Leadership is not ever about the leader; it is and always about the people being lead. Servant leadership is choice, we should choose if we are to become a successful leader. We must practice it, to be come it. Your choice, choose well.

For the things which we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing: men become builders by building houses and harpists by playing the harp. Similarly, we become just by the practice of just actions, self-controlled by exercising self-control. - Aristotle