Jesus told his disciples that who ever would be greatest must be a servant. There is so much wisdom in that statement that it would take hours to fully unpack. Let me unpack it a little.
We tend to believe that greatness is reserved for those who are masters. Masters lead by force. That is the way of the world. Jesus wants us to see how his way is radically different.
Jesus call is to lead as a servant. A servant is lowly and humble. But how can a servant lead? Servants lead with love.
The servant first lives the truth out. The world already has plenty of leaders who proclaim "Do as I say, but don't look too closely at what I do". Not that we will be perfect, but we ourselves, being led by truth, are called to give a perfect effort. Then we trust both in the strength and in the grace of God to carry us forward.
As the servant lives the truth, they remember to be grateful for all that they have. No matter our lot in life, we have something for which to be thankful. Even a crippled beggar has life and is offered the gift of eternal life through God's grace. Most of us have so much more than that. Maybe we need to spend more time with God thanking Him and asking Him to reveal to us just how much we do have. A grateful heart will be a joyful heart.
And that is the place from which we lead. With a joyful, loving heart, we serve one another. We do not drive them. The joy and the love living in us draws them. We all hunger for joy in our life. We may choose to try to feed our heart on all manner of things, bad and good. However, it is the joy that we really want, and joy is the only thing that will truly nourish our heart and allow it to grow.
As God's Spirit calls them, He will lead them to his servant leaders. Love those He brings you and as opportunities arise, tell them about the one who has brought peace and joy to your life. Be honest that your life isn't perfect. You fail. You struggle. But you are never left alone and He never stops loving you.
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