Christian Leadership Foundations 2 - LoveSýnishorn

TENSIONS FOR SERVANT LEADERS

Leadership Devotion

This passage reveals two different approaches to servant leadership by Jesus. Let’s explore these two ways of leading as a servant.

At this point in his ministry, Jesus was constantly under pressure to meet the needs of the people he was serving. They wanted to heal. They wanted deliverance. They wanted to hear more of his teaching. They wanted to see more miracles. Some of their needs were legitimate, and because Jesus cared so deeply, he often put aside his own agenda and needs to meet their needs.

The disciples returned from their separate missions excited but exhausted in this story. Jesus decided it was important for them to get away to debrief and be refreshed (Mark 6:30-32). Wise idea, but lots of people saw them heading off, worked out where they were going, and raced there ahead of Jesus and his disciples. When Jesus saw the needs and longings of the crowd, he put aside his plan and taught and healed, even miraculously providing an evening meal for them. Motivated by deep compassion (love), Jesus intentionally waived his plans to serve the crowd’s needs. This is servant leadership.

After dinner, Jesus sent the crowds away, despite their pressing desires. Matthew records how Jesus recognized his need to spend time alone with God in prayer, so he stopped his powerful ministry, dismissed everyone, and headed off up the mountain (14:22-23). I am sure many in the crowd were unhappy with his call this time. They wanted more – more miracles, more healings, more teaching, but Jesus chose to draw a boundary and do what was best for his relationship with his Father, his long-term ministry, and service of others. He could not afford to be held hostage by the wishes of the crowd. He sent them away. This, too, is servant leadership.

To Contemplate

Would you be more likely to minister to the crowds or send them away in this situation? What comes most naturally to you?

Leadership Reflection

Tension 1: How do we both serve and lead?

In some ways, serving and leading appear to be contradictory ministries. Serving seems to involve caring, submitting, and supporting, whereas leading seems to include influencing, directing, and visioning. It looks like the more you serve, the less you will be able to lead, and the more you try to lead people, the less you will serve them.

This is a false dichotomy. Jesus was both a servant and a leader. He loved and served his disciples and led them towards God’s purposes. He nurtured them and cared for them - answering their questions, looking after their needs, and encouraging their ministry. He also challenged and even rebuked them - teaching and growing them, disciplining them, and calling them to a life of deep sacrifice.

There is a big difference between being a servant and being a doormat. Doormats do what others want. Their goal is to please and appease those they serve. Christian leaders have a different agenda when they serve. They do not want to do what pleases people. They want to do what pleases God and what is best for his people. They have the interests of those they serve at heart. Sometimes this means doing what those they lead want, and at other times it means going against their wishes and calling them away from their selfish desires to God’s direction.

Tension 2: Who do we serve?

We serve everyone, of course. There are no limitations on Jesus’ call to serve. We are to love all those God places around us, even our enemies. Jesus gives clear instructions on this in Luke 6:27-29.

Because we have limited resources, we can’t provide the same amount of love and service for everyone. So Christian leaders proactively choose people who will get more time, attention, and resources.

Now your initial reaction to this may be a feeling of injustice. Why should some people get our special attention? How can we choose some over others? Surely, we need to treat everyone alike. Everyone should have equal access to our love and influence. Doesn’t James say we should not play favorites (Jam. 2:1-13)?

Yes, James is clear we should not give preference to someone because they are more wealthy or attractive. We need to love and respect all people, but our finite resources mean we have to make choices in investing in them.

Jesus loved all people intensely, but he still chose 12 apostles from among his disciples to mainly invest in (Luke 6:12-13). These 12 received more of Jesus’ time, teaching, support, and attention. This was because Jesus on earth had human limitations like us. Now, of course, Jesus is available equally to everyone.

Similarly, Jesus has given us some people he particularly wants us to influence. They may be rich or poor, young or old, smart or plodders, fun or boring, it doesn’t matter. We are to recognize who these people are and find significant time to serve them. Sometimes God brings them to us. Often, we pray about it and seek them out.

Tension 3: When do we draw boundaries?

To serve people effectively without being a hostage to their wants, you have to draw boundaries. The inability of someone who genuinely loves to draw boundaries carefully will lead to poor stewardship of time and energy and the inability to serve others well.

Because we have limited resources, we need to ensure these resources go where they are most needed and effective. This means we have to decide where our resources will go and not have this important decision made by the people we are serving, who may feel their need is greater and more urgent than anyone else’s. Good stewardship of the resources God gives a leader necessarily involves drawing boundaries.

Drawing boundaries is a tension. Some of us (myself included) find it quite easy to draw boundaries. We have strong personal agendas (hopefully from God), and we don’t like the needs of others to interfere with our program. We readily say no to those looking for our time or help or attention or ministry. Such leaders have to learn that being a servant often means abandoning our agenda to care for others as Jesus did.

Some of us have loving, servant’s hearts moved by compassion. We strongly feel the needs of others and readily abandon our plans to help them. If this is you, God is pleased with your sacrificial attitude. Still, you are in danger of not using your resources effectively and not looking after your spiritual, emotional, and relational health. If you cannot learn to say no as Jesus did, you will be stretched too far and may not love in the way Jesus wants.