Counter Cultural Leadership

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[e] 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.”

Mark 10:42-45

When we model our leadership after Jesus it is counter-culture. In this passage, Jesus says that the culture leverages their authority to control others and have them serve the leader. However, in God’s economy, great leadership is when you leverage your authority for the good of other people.

Instead of, ‘Lording it‛ over people, the Godly leader seeks to serve those under him.

Instead of demanding attention, the servant steps out of the spotlight and looks for ways to make those he leads look good.

Instead of making decisions based on image enhancement, the servant leader’s decisions are based on what will enhance the organization.

The servant leader doesn’t demand respect, he earns respect simply because he walks his talk and cares for others.

Jesus is challenging us to lead out of a desire to serve others, not a desire to be served by others.

Here are 3 questions to determine how we are leveraging our authority:

1. Are we leveraging our authority for our own good or for the good of others?
2. Are we leading out of a desire to serve others or out of a desire to be served by others?
3. Do we think of our task as guiding people to a noble goal or using people to advance our own agenda?

Greatness in God’s sight is not found in how many people serve the leader but rather in how faithfully the leaders serves others.