Leading Like Jesus

This is just a quick blog...almost a mini-blog, but it got me to thinking and I wanted to share.

Leadership in the advancement of the Kingdom is a huge topic these days.  It really has been a big one for quite some time, but we often see a resurgence in the concept from time to time, and with the condition of western society right now, the season is ripe for such a resurgence.

This week, a friend emailed me asking for insight on how I believed the disciples viewed leadership before the Holy Spirit came.  This question really provoked me to consider how Kingdom leadership began.  Of course, one could propose that leadership began at Creation, and while I would totally agree, the question was specifically about the disciples' view of leadership.  So I looked at it solely within that context.

I really believe the key view the disciples had for leadership prior to the coming of the Holy Spirit was simply observing Jesus, their leader, in action.

1. He knew who He was.  Jesus did not have any kind of identity crisis whatsoever.  Even on the Cross at His lowest point, He STILL knew He was God's Son, because He cried out, "My Father, My Father...".  So the disciples saw that leadership is rooted in Kingdom identity.
2. He never asked them to do something He wasn't willing to do.  In fact, He never asked them to do anything He hadn't done first.  So they saw that a leader must do what He expects of others.
3. He was a selfless servant.  Even when He was tired, He put the needs of others before His own.  And it's important to remember that while, yes, He was fully God, He was also fully man, so He experienced the same physical requirements as others.  He got tired, probably exhausted, because we see in Scripture that He poured Himself out...yet He had to retreat and rest.  So the disciples saw leadership as radical servanthood fueled by rest and rejuvenation.    
4. He was unafraid to challenge the status quo.  This no fear mentality would've had to be rooted in His identity.  He left the disciples, and henceforth us as well, with the knowledge that we are also sons (even daughters, ha), and therefore, they could (and we can) also freely challenge the status quo to set things into Kingdom order.
5. He was a "launching pad leader."  This means that though He was fully cognizant of His own actions and their implications, He was also fully cognizant of those who would follow in His footsteps.  And as a result, He encouraged them by telling them they'd do greater things than He did.  It's hard to imagine doing greater things than Jesus did, but by that point, they were well-acquainted with His faithfulness, so I'm sure they believed.  And therefore, they saw the value in walking out one's destiny, yet all the while serving as a foundation and launching pad for the "next generation" to do greater things and to be propelled further.

Those are just a few things....gosh, I could keep going.  :-)  And imagine how all of those things are amplified when the Holy Spirit DID come to empower them for Kingdom advancement!  

Anyway, I enjoyed the pondering, and thought maybe y'all might too!

Grace and Love,
Holly