Read Matthew 20:20-28

“²⁶ But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. ²⁸ For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Social media has highlighted something inherent within humans throughout history – many of us enjoy the spotlight and the power that comes with it! Despite the incredible challenges and sacrifices any leader must make, people of every generation throughout recorded history seem to have an inbuilt desire to be seen as “great” amongst their peers.

Even in churches and Christian conferences, it’s all too common to see heroes fashioned out of self-made millionaires, authors and CEO’s. The message seems to be that every man, woman, boy and girl should aspire to be an executive, thought leader or “influencer”.

However, the reality is that this style of leadership is not going to be suitable for the breadth of personalities, work, skills and interests that we all have. Furthermore, if every one of us is a leader/boss/business owner then who is left to follow, manage or do the essential work?

The good news is that Jesus offers a type of leadership that every single one of us is capable of excelling in – servant leadership. This is a type of leadership that operates in a completely unique manner.

Jesus describes to his closest followers that the leadership they sought was one that exercised authority over others. However, Jesus was introducing them to a leadership style that exercised humility alongside others. This was not a belittling of our own selves, but an elevation of others. While our natural instinct is to control others – children, spouses, friends, teammates or colleagues – Jesus firmly believed, taught and modelled that to be considered a “hero” in His kingdom requires that we lift others up. Christians who lead anyone in any context should prioritise compassion for those they lead, not control.

Finally, we can be assured of the power of this counter-cultural leadership mindset when we see the outcomes. Jesus-like leadership has Jesus-like outcomes. When we lead like Jesus we see fruit like Jesus saw. Love abounds, joy increases, peace reigns and people are valued and free. This is the fruit we need in our churches today. This is the fruit we need in homes, businesses non-profits, clubs and schools. This fruit is the kind that comes from the servant leadership modelled to us perfectly by Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Who is the greatest servant leader you have known? In what way could you lead others by serving them?