A great and gifted leader is one who understands those who surround them. They know the strengths, weaknesses and needs of their followers. They also know their own weaknesses, as well as their own strengths. They have a vision for the future and how to use it to help others accomplish their potential and purpose in life by cheering them toward the goal. One must be a servant to be a great leader. People are only willing to follow someone they respect and want to become more like them.
Jesus is the unmatched example of a gifted leader we must follow to be successful in the journey of life. Jesus knew humanity could not do anything on their own; so He took upon Himself flesh and became a servant and sacrificed Himself to make a way of others to be successful.
The amazing truth is that Jesus can take ordinary, broken people and make them into world class leaders who love people and influence others by loving the unlovely. He did it with eleven disciples that became the pillars of Christianity. His influence was so great the disciples were willing to die for Him. They did not understand while He was upon this earth, but they soon discovered the power of obedience by waiting for Him to send the Holy Spirit.
You are a leader in some capacity in life. It may be in your family which is the most important role in life that anyone has. Serving the family is to be a leader to the family. There is no greater calling and gifting than to love the natural family first and then to turn and serve humanity with love just as one has love for their family.
In fact, Jesus says we must love our neighbor just as much as we love our self. However, we cannot love our self until we understand that God enables us to understand our gift is to give our self away in this life in service to others beginning with our family and then reaches out to all humanity.
We are called and gifted to do two things: Love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind and to love our neighbor as our self. To be able to do this requires a daily journey with Jesus through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. It is possible; however, we must walk in the footprints of Jesus. If we do, others will follow – they will follow with us because they also will become Christ followers and love God with all their heart, soul, strength and mind.
Christianity is incredibly simple. Eternity is forever and Jesus is the way. We can walk in His footprints and by doing so He will use us to draw others into the family of God.
And he answered, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
Luke 10:27 (Also see Matthew 22:37 and Mark 12:30)
This is the purpose and plan of God for every life: follow God, love Him with all the heart, soul, strength and mind and to be a disciple of Jesus with a view that eternity is forever. If we have this vision, we can and will become, not only a great leader, but an eternal servant to our God and our neighbor which is even greater than being a leader on earth.
King David stated it this way: For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. Psalm 84:10
Being the gatekeeper was a difficult task that required serving others, greeting them and opening and shutting the gate. If someone had a need, the gatekeeper was to help meet it. The gatekeeper had to have the right perspective and understood the needs of the people who occupied the fortified villages where they lived. David used this metaphor to say he would rather be a servant in God’s house in some capacity than to dwell with the wicked in their tents. We are all broken people; yet God has the ability to change the lives of those who accept and follow Jesus.
I pray you are following Jesus or will make the decision to follow and become a servant to Him and a great leader.
English 