He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.įor Christ himself has brought peace to us. “But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Second, that Christ restored unity with God’s people in community. First, our relationship with the Creator was restored and reconciled. Our Christian faith is based on the premise that Jesus’s ministry of reconciliation brought forth two ideas. He states, “A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong … Caring for persons, the more able and the less able serving each other, is the rock upon which a good society is built.” This is a vision of Christ serving his people. Robert Greenleaf has written extensively on servant leadership. Pride leadership makes it all about “me” and not about the “we.” They wanted others to do the work, others to be the “deacons” who cared for the members on the team. Instead, they wanted to teach, preach, and be in the limelight. I’ve been on too many mission trips where no one wanted to serve. The first question anyone pursuing leadership must ask is this: “Are you ready to serve, or do you just want to lead?” We have examples in government and church where leaders are looking for praise or desiring influence without ever serving. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead,” writes Robert Greenleaf, founder of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Christ was the greatest servant leader of all. He sent them out without him and then regrouped and equipped his followers when they came back. Christ came and called followers whom he served, cared for, equipped, and comforted. Leading means serving, and Christ gives us an example of servant leadership. Leadership is a gift of trust from the followers.

Servant leadership in diverse contexts