ICS Daily Devotions
Servant Leadership – Leading by Example
Numbers 12:3,7 (NKJV) (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)….Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house.
God in His omniscience knew that Moses would be humble, teachable and faithful in His house. God has very different qualifications for a leader. He chooses character above all else. Moses spent a large portion of his time listening to the problems of the people. He was a people person and an approachable leader. There are leaders who are more interested in the task but neglect the people working for them. In fact, Moses spent so much time ministering to the people that Jethro advised him to divide up the work to captains of hundreds and thousands. This was to prevent him from burning out as a leader. That is the power of delegation. He was teachable and listened to his father-in-law’s advice.
Similarly, in a cell church like ICS, we have cell group leaders to minister to the members and the Senior Pastor will spend time ministering to the cell and cluster leaders.
Moses demonstrated servant leadership. He ministered to his people and did everything possible to help them. Likewise, Jesus also taught servant leadership in the New Testament.
Mark 9:35 (NKJV) And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
Jesus addressed the definition of leadership because the disciples were jostling for position in the absence of Jesus. “Servant leadership” is the hallmark of Christian leadership. This may sound like an oxymoron, but it is true that one must have the heart of a servant if he/she desires to be a leader in a church. The closest definition of “servant leadership” is to lead by example. This means that we would not ask others to do something if we are not willing to do it ourselves when the situation warrants it. We are to model our leadership after Jesus because He did not come to be served but to serve and He gave His life for all. He came to do the will of the Father and had no desire or demands of His own. He did not demand for any privileges or have a sense of entitlement. Even though those who teach the word are supposed to receive double honor (1 Timothy 5:17), Christian leaders should not have a sense of entitlement, ask to be seated in the most prominent place, have the biggest office and are unable to perform menial duties. It goes against the notion of “servant leadership”. A servant leader will be able to meet a need without any hesitance when he/she sees a need in the office or ministry. Some leaders are not willing to do something insignificant such as working behind the scenes or performing tasks which are deemed for the junior staff. That is pride and not humility.
Sermon Series: Life Lessons
