Our world today needs good Christian leaders.
But what makes a good Christian Leader? Is he or she assertive? Humble? Meek? Strong willed? Well studied? Aggressive? Forgiving? Just nice? Good singer? Good speaker?
It seems like everyone has their own definition. But I think most agree that the best guide for good Christian leadership is the Bible.
Yet for some reason, we rarely look to the Bible. We read books and look to movies and fail to go to the Lord for His definition of leadership. But maybe that’s because we don’t like it…
Jesus says this in Mark 10:42-45 “And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles Lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
From this passage, how would you define Christian Leadership? Are there any other verses you think should be considered for this definition? We look forward to your answers in the comments.
In my military training at school I am being taught how to lead people to accomplish tasks and motivate them to accomplish a common goal. One aspect of this training that I see as biblical is a phrase we use, “lead from the front”, which sounds like common sense but is so often something we miss as leaders. You cannot expect people to follow you if you aren’t going anywhere or if you aren’t living the life you are telling them to live. You have to live what you preach and show your people that you care about their well-being and that you have their best interest in mind, or in this case, God’s will in mind.
I love that idea of “lead from the front.” I think that also keeps us from trying to just control people by bossing them around. We wouldn’t tell someone to do something if we weren’t willing to do it ourselves first and set the example. Great thoughts Alex!