Willing Leader

Willing Leader

1 Peter 5: I, who am an elder myself, appeal to the church elders among you. I am a witness of Christ's sufferings, and I will share in the glory that will be revealed. I appeal to you ² to be shepherds of the flock that God gave you and to take care of it willingly, as God wants you to, and not unwillingly. Do your work, not for mere pay, but from a real desire to serve. ³ Do not try to rule over those who have been put in your care, but be examples to the flock. ⁴ And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the glorious crown which will never lose its brightness.

 

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“We’re giving you a couple of people to manage” were the exciting words I wanted to hear in my young career. I did so with vim and vigor! But over time I got more and more responsibility. Soon I had an entire department. “Do you want more people?” they asked. I was reluctant.

 

• I knew how difficult it was to manage people.
• I knew the troubles I would face because I had led people for years.
• Leadership was not what I thought it would be.

 

Peter appealed to church elders, or leaders within a given gathering of believers of JESUS. He gave his personal testimony of how he witnessed the sufferings of CHRIST. He also told everyone that he would share in the glory once JESUS returns. But then he turns to an appeal to “willingly” be a servant leader. He probably did this because he knew how hard leadership was.

 

My Observations:

• GOD wants me to willingly lead selfish, unruly people to a place of peace.
• GOD wants me to humble myself to be a servant leader.
• JESUS is the “Chief Shepherd” who will give me a crown that will not lose its brightness.

 

Many people think leadership is easy until he or she has to do so. I mean, I had plenty of complaints about what leaders were doing or not doing, until I had to be one. Then I realized, I could not be all things to all people. What was I to do? GOD had a remedy.

 

HE placed me and other leaders on a path that serves others. This is a different leadership style that leverages influence over coercion. Servant leaders wants people to grow up to become servant leaders so they provide the example of how to follow CHRIST to the best of his or her abilities. I am glad GOD gives me a flock to serve.

 

Challenge

• Why does the writer appeal to the church elders to lead “willingly?”
• Have you ever worked for someone who hated his or her job?
• If you are in leadership for CHRIST, will you consider “willingly” serving those who may be difficult to serve so they can see your example and turn to CHRIST someday?

Ownership

Ownership

John 10: ¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. ¹² But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. ¹³ The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. ¹⁵ As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. ¹⁶ And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

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Seeing the overflowing garbage can, I quickly turned my eyes. It was no longer my shift and it was two in the morning. This can was the furthest from the dumpster and besides, it was next to the door on my way home. I bypassed the garbage. “Let the next shift handle it.”

• Many times I overlooked things that I had a “right” to overlook.
• Many times I shirked away from things I felt were not “my” responsibility.
• Many times I avoided messy situations because I did not want to get messy.

JESUS healed a man born blind on the Sabbath and was accused of heresy by the church leaders. HE called them blind and implied they had no part in HIS kingdom. HE switches the conversation and talks about how much HE cares for humans. HE mentions how “HE gave HIS life for the sheep”, both Jews and Gentiles.

• JESUS wants me to share in HIS desire to bring all humans back to HIM.
• JESUS wants me to empathize with HIS goal of looking for those who have wandered away from HIM.
• JESUS wants me to own the problem of seeking the lost and being involved in messy lives.

Owning the problem of bringing people back to GOD seems huge and overwhelming. BUT GOD does not expect me to save the world. HE simply wants me to reach “that” person and then another and another. HE desires my testimony to be simple but sincere. I am a sinner with no solution to sin, BUT JESUS has all solutions. To HIM, I point my life.

• Do you know your neighbors?
• Have you prayed for them or for other people outside of your family?
• Will you own the lives of those around you, without trying to control them and allow GOD to speak about JESUS through you today?

Returning from Lost

Jeremiah 50: ⁴ “In those days, at that time,”
    declares the Lord,
“the people of Israel and the people of Judah together
    will go in tears to seek the Lord their God.
⁵ They will ask the way to Zion
    and turn their faces toward it.
They will come and bind themselves to the Lord
    in an everlasting covenant
    that will not be forgotten.

⁶ “My people have been lost sheep;
    their shepherds have led them astray
    and caused them to roam on the mountains.
They wandered over mountain and hill
    and forgot their own resting place.

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“What do you want to do when you grow up” someone posed to me. “I don’t know” was all I could say because I had only thought about going bowling with my friends. “You are good at math, do you want to be in my computer class?” “Sure” I said and at that moment I had a path.

Another time I was standing in a building with a very puzzled look on my face. Nervous because of my pending tardiness, I got more and more frustrated. A person approached me and asked “Can I help you find something?” I replied with the address and person I was looking for and the person said “You are in the wrong building.” I received directions and went my way, relieved.

• Sometimes I feel lost.
• Sometimes I feel I have no direction.
• Sometimes I feel there is no one there to guide me.

Feeling lost is much broader than directions from place to place. In fact I use a GPS and haven’t felt lost in a while. But life sometimes makes me feel “lost” in a way that no GPS can bring me out. I wander, stumble and even ask for directions but unfortunately I ask other lost people and they get me more lost. Where can I find directions?

• GOD says to me “I AM the WAY the truth and the life” which means I need only to point my life to HIS and I will never be lost.
• GOD says to me “Seek first the kingdom of GOD and all these things will be added to you” which means I need only to look for GOD whenever I feel lost.
• GOD says to me “I AM the GOOD SHEPHERD” meaning HE is the only one who can confidently guide me through dark and mysterious times.

One reason I feel lost at times is because I have not asked GOD for directions, permission or safety on my journeys. Whenever I do I feel confident, protected and excited. HE guides me besides still waters and on paths of righteousness for HIS namesake. HE gives me a resting place.

• Are you lost?
• Do you feel you have been wandering?
• Can you seek GOD’s direction today?