Leading, As One Who Serves by Robert Ricciardelli

Leading, As One Who Serves

By Robert Ricciardelli www.vision2advance.com

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Luke 22:24-29 ²⁴Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. ²⁵Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. ²⁶But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. ²⁷For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. ²⁸You are those who have stood by me in my trials. ²⁹And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me.

Jesus just had a wonderful and final time of fellowship with His team, the team that had walked beside Him, witnessed the signs and wonders, and should have had perceived by now that the Kingdom of God was not like the kingdoms of this world. But human nature took over, and thoughts of power, control, and status led to a dispute among them.

We see the same dispute today all around us. Those who have been called to lead, want to collect servants, and do not understand that they were called to lead like Jesus Himself, AS ONE WHO SERVES, and release servants to the world. As a whole I think we can say, “Ouch, we somehow missed that memo from Jesus, and now must be determined to make the shift towards His likeness, and His desire for all of us.”

It is way past the time for godly leadership to make this shift. “Top down” methods must give way to Christ’s “Bottom Up” mandate. Here is how it works, if you are a leader, you go low, and stop propping yourself or your agenda up. You choose to go way low in serving and lifting up the heads, hearts, and vision of others. Do this, and Father says, “That is the Way the Truth, and the Life my child, and you are now Kingdom great.” Of course that is presupposing that most of God’s people want to live their life as a Father pleasers, like Jesus did.

Many leaders who were supposed to be informed have now become those that need to be reformed. Reformed in the Kingdom. Reformed in mindsets as to being as one who serves, rather than expecting lights, the red carpet, and an entourage of servants. Reformation, and actually transformation must take place, and can only happen with willing and humble hearts.

Think of leadership as the process of setting people free to do the best work they can, while the Holy Spirit whom you have released them to, guides them. It is not about you, it is about the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory of God, and unleashing others into that Kingdomized place of freedom. We do not own anything, but we are called to steward everything God has given us.

Many leaders on the world’s scene are getting this and becoming successful by releasing others to be and to do. Phil Jackson has made a “Hall of Fame” career by following a few principles of this truth. In his career, Jackson has gone from coaching the record-setting champion Chicago Bulls to the present NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. He says his principal task is creating an environment in which his players can flourish. In communicating with his championship teams, Jackson convinced them that they had the talent to win championships and that the main goal of the coach was freeing them to use that talent.

In businesses today, team members say they want, more than anything else, the autonomy to do their jobs without the boss’s interference. Empowered and trusted, their productivity soars. Nearly a decade into the new century, it’s already clear that the CEOs of our best-run companies believe that the more power leaders have, the less they should use. They become facilitators of principles and let people manage themselves within those values.

The job of a leader is to help others hear the voice of God, train and prepare them, and release them into strategic vision and mission opportunities. People need to feel safe and valued as a Kingdom citizen to fulfill God’s destiny for their life. In other words, people will flourish in God when a leader seeks to serve, rather than be served.

The key to authentic leadership is to listen to those within your community, and then open the door for them to lead themselves into God directed service. The secret is education, training, and empowerment. The main incentive is genuine love, caring, and recognizing the need for every member to be free to serve in the sphere’s of society the Lord has placed him or her into, while being part of a relational and missional community.

A good leader recognizes that every believer is called to do great things for God, but was not called to do it alone. So the leader gathers, serves, facilitates, and prepares others for Kingdom service, and rolls up their sleeves and works alongside them. It is rarely what the believer does in a building on Sunday, but what they are released and empowered to do daily. The more decentralized and relational a community can be, the freer they are to move in the power of the Holy Spirit as a unified Body of Christ.

Lord, may leaders understand the power of strength and honor for every single person. That they might lay down their agenda, for your agenda, as your people rise up “As One” who serves!