“What does leadership look like?” I asked Google this today, and in the 1.3 billion or so results I got, I searched through the first page and read a lot about the qualities of a leader. What stood out to me is that no one listed “service” as a quality. That’s to say, serving others. I did get some good qualities of a leader. They should be humble, empathetic, and lead by example. To name three. Something else that most sites agreed on is that good leader aren’t born. They are made. One site even suggested that good leadership is an art form.

I agree with almost everything that I read, and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by what I read. Although, I was hoping to see something that came right out and said that a leader should serve others.

I was reading 1 Kings today, and I came across this verse.

They replied, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.”

1 Kings 12:7 (NIV)

This is the response Rehoboam got from the elders who had served his father, Solomon, while he had been king when Rehoboam asked for their advice on how to respond to the people who had suffered under his father’s rule.

What stands out is that Rehoboam only had to serve the people, and they would, in turn, serve him forever. Now, serving the people would have required humility and empathy and certainly would have demonstrated the quality of leading by example. This is why I was pleasantly surprised to read that the world sees these as important qualities for leadership.

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he advises them to, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4 NIV). I hadn’t thought about it before, but I think these two verses reveal not only the qualities of a good leader but the qualities that make up a good Christian.

You see, something I’ve noticed over the years when it comes to leadership is this. Many people want to lead and will seemingly do whatever it takes to get into leadership. However, once they are in leadership, they turn away from the very qualities that attracted people enough to put them into leadership in the first place.

After advising the people in Philippians 2:3-4, Paul gives an example of what this type of mindset looks like.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:5 (NIV)

Now, I really like what Paul writes next.

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross!

Philippians 2:6-7 (NIV)

That’s amazing, isn’t it? Instead of identifying as one part of the triune God, and expecting everyone to fall down and worship him, Jesus came to serve. Even to the point of dying a disgraceful death on a cross!

Although we won’t be called to die as Jesus did for the sins of the world, we will be better Christians and human beings if we stop living lives to serve ourselves and, instead, serve others.

Do you know God? God knows you, and he loves you. He sees you as significant because you are. No one is insignificant to Him. He’s with you today, and he wants you to know him. Jesus died for your sins and mine so we could be free of guilt, free from death, and live eternally with him. Eternal salvation is just a prayer away.

Pray this prayer with me to accept the gift of salvation today:

Lord Jesus, forgive me for all my sins. I repent from my ways. Wash me in your blood and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I believe that you died on the cross, were buried, and on the third day, God the Father raised you from the dead. Right now, Lord Jesus, I open the door to my heart, and I receive you into my heart as my Lord and personal Savior. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, then congratulations! You are on the first step of a brand new life. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to my family, the family of God. There are abundant resources available online for new Christians. You can visit here for more information on what to do next. You can also leave me a comment, and I’ll do my best to help you on the next step of this incredible journey.

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