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Servant Leadership

One of my favorite quotes is from Albert Schweitzer who said, “I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know, the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found out how to serve.” We are called to be servant leaders.

Jesus modeled that for us. We find it in others throughout the scriptures. Servant leaders embody and live out 1 Corinthians 9.19. From the Message paraphrase, “Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people.”

But if we're honest, it's challenging to integrate leading and serving at times. Sometimes there are paradoxes in leading and serving such as being in charge may put the spotlight on us. That's kind of paradoxical with not drawing attention to ourselves.

In other words, our decisions may be controversial as a leader or even offend somebody, right? All of us have wounds from that that have been in leadership and our decisions may be perceived as self-serving instead of what we intend. There is a point of caution or warning that we need to recognize. Jeremiah said to Baruch in Jeremiah 45.5, should you then seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, he said.

We need to remember – motive shapes leadership. Our motive should be love. Love for God and our love for others.

I believe love is the connection between leadership and servanthood that produces the right results. It, along with the Holy Spirit, brings the balance that we need. A friend of mine who is a strength finders coach would on occasion say to the leaders who were learning how to how much influence and strength to exert.

Most of them were younger pastors. He would say this, You need to learn when to dial it up or dial it down. And the Holy Spirit is the one that helps us determine the balance there.

I believe that there are times as leaders we need to step up and exert influence and strength. There are times we need to dial back and not come on quite as strong. And the Holy Spirit is the one that helps us.

We need to listen to the whispers of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He is talking to all of us in different ways day in and day out. I attended the clergy promise keepers conference in Atlanta a number of years ago. The keynote speaker said, “Men and women, it's not about you.” And the arena went silent. Fifty thousand or more leaders, pastors, other kind of non-profit and religious leaders, and it got pretty quiet in there. Then he went on to say, “Ministry, this whole church thing, it's not about you. It's about God and his people. You are simply an instrument, a conduit.”

I believe that. As leaders, we need to ask ourselves these questions on occasion:

Why do we seek to lead? Is it the accolades? Is it the "attaboys" and "attagirls" being in the spotlight? Or is it God called us to a special place of leadership so we can represent Him? Servant leaders learn to discipline themselves and refocus attention on God and on others. Another important thought for us to keep in mind today, servant leaders graciously extend love, acceptance, and forgiveness. They are instruments of God in which grace, mercy, and justice willingly flow to others around them who they lead, who they come in contact with, and who they seek to influence.

Arnold Schwarzenegger said in one of his speeches, “I want to quote the wonderful man who started the Peace Corps. He also happens to be my father-in-law, Sergeant Shriver. My father-in-law said, ‘Serve, serve, serve. For in the end, it is the serve who will save us all.' ” There is so much truth in that statement.

I believe that servant leaders have a significant opportunity to represent God well in this loud, divisive, and polarized culture in which we live. They leverage influence wisely and with humility. As they obediently follow the spirit of God, they make a powerful and lasting impact.

Pastor Rick Warren stated in one of his sermons, when God gives you influence, it isn't for the purpose of making you rich or famous, especially for your own pleasure. He gives you influence because he uses people to help other people. It's about others, he said, and the blessings of your influence are not for you to consume, but for you to share.

Let me say thanks to each of you for your exemplary servant leadership. I'm confident we wouldn't have the Nazarene Bible College, we wouldn't have the denomination we have, we wouldn't have many of the organizations you have served, or many of the churches you have served without your servant leadership.

Thank you for your sacrifice, for your commitment, and your service.

- Rev. Doug Pierce serves as President of Nazarene Bible College.