So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet.John 13:4-5 (NIV)When you think of servanthood, what do you envision? Servanthood is not about position or skill. It’s about attitude. You undoubtedly have met people in service positions who have poor attitudes toward servanthood. And just as you can sense when a worker doesn’t want to help people, you can just as easily detect whether a leader has a servant’s heart.
The truth is that the best leaders desire to serve others, not themselves. True servant leaders:
- Put others ahead of their own agenda.
- Possess the confidence to serve.
- Initiate service to others.
- Are not position-conscious.
- Serve out of love.
Servant leadership is never motivated by manipulation or self-promotion. In the end, the extent of your influence depends on the depth of your concern for others. That’s why it’s so important for leaders to be willing to serve.
Fire of God
“Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?” He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from seeing evil: He will dwell on high;His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, His water will be sure. Isaiah 33:14-16
Who can stand up under the purification process of God? Who can remain unchanged through the fire of God? That’s the question Isaiah asks and answers. He lays out a list of traits for the kind of people who can stand up in a crisis.
Ponder his description:
Integrity: The leader’s life and words match.
Justice: The leader rejects dishonest gain.
Convictions: The leader’s values won’t allow him or her to accept bribes.
Positive focus: The leader refuses to dwell on destructive issues.
Pure: The leader disciplines his or her mind to remain clean and pure.
Secure: The leader is firm, stable in his identity and source of strength.
[tags]Leadership,Maxwell, Heart of Leadership, Fire of God[/tags]