Profiles In LeadershipSample

There is no better example of a godly leader than the Lord Jesus Christ.

Every word He spoke, everything He did, served to model what godly leadership looks like. While many leaders today seek to define leadership as the antithesis of Jesus, He remains the standard by which all leaders are judged.

In Luke 7, we see Jesus spending a day ministering to people, and not to those who seemed by human standards to be the worthiest—He ministered to the people who needed Him the most.

In the chapter, we read how Jesus healed the sick and lame, cast out evil spirits, even raised the dead. The chapter concludes by revealing how He entered the home of the religious leaders of the day for an evening meal and spent His time ministering to a sinful woman who crashed the dinner.

That's because everyone Jesus ministered to had one thing in common: they understood their own need. They came to Jesus with empty, outstretched hands, hoping He would show them compassion—and He did not disappoint.

When John the Baptist sent some of his people to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah, Jesus responded by saying, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” (Luke 7:22)

Like the world Jesus encountered, our world is full of needy people, overflowing with men and women who know they’re missing out on something.

We are surrounded by hurting individuals who come to us with hands outstretched.

We carry the example of Jesus to each of those people, something we should keep in mind whenever the needs around us threaten to overwhelm us.

We may not be able to meet those needs the way Jesus did, but that’s okay. As leaders for Christ, it is our job to reach out to the whole world so that those who admit their need have a chance to come to Him.

To learn more about the invaluable leadership principles found in the Bible, you can check out the brand new 3rd Edition of The Maxwell Leadership Bible .