Flashback

Today I was at the church doing some menial tasks that nobody really likes to do and it happened. I had a flashback!

I was 23 years old, a senior at North Central University, and serving as an intern with my church’s youth ministry. Life was busy and crazy, but it was one of the most memorable summers of my life!

One day, I found myself doing what can only be described as “slave labor”. Our church was going through a construction project, so the interns had the honor doing the jobs that the construction workers didn’t even want to do. It was dirty, nasty, sweaty, and exhausting. I remember distinctly the feeling of frustration. The job was insurmountable. The thoughts of “I didn’t sign up for this” kept surfacing. To top it off, the youth pastors were in the office wing… where there was air conditioning! I thought, “Why aren’t they in here with us?!” I don’t know how long those feelings lasted on that first day, but all of a sudden, God broke me and taught me three important life lessons.

1. Servanthood is the foundation of Godly leadership. Stop now! Don’t brush by that phrase and say “Oh yeah. I know that.” You and I both have heard that and read it a bazillion times. Hear it again: Servanthood is the foundation of Godly leadership. I am still learning the skills of leadership, and do not claim to be the best leader around. But I have observed that unless a leader’s value system has deep roots in servanthood, they will never develop other servant leaders. They will only give birth to others who, out of a comparison mentality, want the same spotlight that the leader has enjoyed. The leader may be an exceptionally gifted speaker or networker, which buys them the illusion of Kingdom leadership. It’s a trap. Servanthood is the foundation of Godly leadership.

2. The absence of ego-building rewards reveals the heart. The most revealing environment to expose our heart’s buy-in to servanthood has this one important ingredient: Very few, if any, see our work (especially our superiors). Of course, we were created to do good works, and when others see those good works, done with a pure heart, they will glorify the Father. Yet the issue is the heart. The absence of the applause of man is the best environment to reveal our true servant’s heart, or lack thereof.

3. A Godly leader never promotes himself out of serving. This one is so very important, because it’s easy to think, “If servanthood is the foundation of leadership, then I simply ‘pay my dues’ and one day people will serve me, because, after all, I have already built that foundation.” A Godly leader is ALWAYS and FOREVER a servant. And, in the very mission of being a leader, we are to influence others with our life. How else can you impart the foundation of Godly leadership (servanthood) in others if you will not serve them and serve alongside them?

I think it is a valuable discipline to serve in ways that challenge our attitude and reveal our heart. Serve the people God has entrusted to your influence. Instill in them the value of servanthood by serving with them so that they embrace lesson #3 – and not just for kudos, but for their future as a leader.

The last episode in Jesus’ life before the resurrection was the ultimate demonstration of servanthood. He did what nobody else would ever want to do when He carried the cross to Calvary. Let’s emulate Him by nurturing a passion to serve God and others!