Matthew 20:25-28 “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
Luke 19:10 “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Matthew 8:5-7 “And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.”
Generals Robert Armfield and Bruce Fister recently published an outstanding leadership book entitled “Lead to Serve and Serve to Lead.” This Christ-centered book is full of relevant and practical leadership insights written by these two successful military practitioners of leadership within the special operations community and in the local church. Their description of leadership is creative, capturing, and convicting: “leadership is a calling to serve, help others be the best they can be, raise up other leaders, and share the vision written on your heart.” As the title of the book suggests, leadership is all about service and a servant-mindset is the foundation of sound leadership. These leaders were centurions – leaders of hundreds of men and women who operated in the toughest of circumstances. Like the centurion who selflessly came to Jesus to humbly ask for healing for a sickly servant, their focus has rightfully been on others.
The four aspects of leadership described by Armfield and Fister are challenging reminders of the proper emphasis of impactful leaders; leadership is a calling to serve those around you, help others become the best possible version of themselves, develop leaders who can similarly serve, and share a vision for a better future.
Jesus Himself described and demonstrated the perfect example of leading to serve and serving to lead. Though He was chief among all of us, He came not to be ministered unto, but to minster. He came not to be served, but to serve. As a result, His greatness was manifested in His monumental impact.
Christ made the ultimate impact because He selflessly served, shaped souls, sourced servant leaders, and shared a sustained vision. And He does so today through His life and eternity-changing sacrifice, His living Word and His indwelling Spirit.
PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD BE THE LEADERS THAT CHRIST HAS CALLED US TO BE AND THAT SOCIETY NEEDS US TO BE. We must lead to serve and serve to lead to maximize our impact for Him!
