A true servant will do everything possible to please his master. Unarguably, we have come to agree with the fact that leaders are those who influence followers towards God’s purposes for the group. We also know that without leadership the church will not be able to carry out the great commission effectively and also will not be able to train Christians to maturity. That is why leadership is needed at all levels of our church and ministry life (Matt. 28:19 – 20).
Paul on leadership development tells Timothy. If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer (leader), he desires a noble task” (1Timothy 3:1). Therefore, Christian leaders must have servant’s heart in order to please God and lead people to Jesus that he would become a “Servant of the Lord” (Isaiah 42:1-4; 44:1-2). The biblical model of leadership is “Servant Leadership” which is different from latest business models, or management techniques or successful selling formulas. These model, good as they are, yet are not the ideal model. Jesus set the example for Christian leaders to follow by making himself a servant leader.
MY LIFE’S GOAL
To glorify God is a permanent mark of the Christian faith. What is life? The scripture asks – it is like a vapour that appears a little while and then vanishes away. God knows how long each one of us will live on planet earth. He has assigned task and goals for us to attain. That goal is pleasing Him alone. You cannot serve two masters as the scripture says. Invariably it is difficult even impossible to please God and satan the same time. And to anyone you desire to please you become a servant of such a one whether of God or your flesh or satan.
God desires total commitment to His will for our lives. He does not share His glory with anyone else. So, it is either we are for Him or not for Him. We cannot stand in-between. Our chief duty as Christians is to bring glory to God by doing things that please Him every moment of our life. We are no longer servants to sin. We are now servants of righteousness. That’s why every part of our body must be made to serve God as we yield them to Him as instruments of righteousness. Having become children of God, we must live as such. We must model our lives on the examples of our Lord. Paul exhorting the brethren at Thessalonica has this to say:
“Finally, brothers, we instruct you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more” (1Thess. 4:1). NKJV
Those words of Paul did not fall short of Apostolic authority. He was not suggesting to them to live righteously, but he was simply strong on the subject of pleasing God as a mark of true followership. He reinforced what he taught them a few years back when he founded that church on his first missionary journey. His emphasis was on ensuring they never forgot their primary objective “pleasing God”.
As a true disciple, you must recognize your responsibility to God. You are responsible to please God in all that you do. When God calls a man He makes that one willing to follow Him all the way. The initial experience may not be palatable. But as time goes by and with unwavering commitment to the will of God, things begin to get clearer and better. God does not call anyone and shows him the end from the beginning of that call. He takes him through a systematic revelation of his will and purposes through a systematic (step-by-step) walk with him. The Onus is to keep following as he (God) leads. Here is what he tells Peter “Follow me” (Mark 1:17); John 21:22). Follow me means follow me all the way through life’s darkest hours, through obstacles and discouragement, through trials, hurts, bereavement, needs, and cares of life (etc). follow me is as resounding today as it was then.
Those called to follow Christ must count the cost and pay the price despising shame and mockery from the enemies of the cross. And sometimes from your loved ones, who think that following Jesus would only amount to poverty and low life. That is not always the case. “The bud of every plant may be bitter, but sweet will be the flower” according to a song writer. For me particularly, I know many of my loved ones who were disappointed because of my answering God’s call into the full time ministry. They felt they may not be getting money from me like before. It was really discouraging. It took a period of about eight years of pastoring until my elder brother said “Mike, you made the right decision”.
I have continued ever since to remain committed to that singular calling of my life, which is to serve God and to bring glory to His name. Today, those my loved ones are no longer disappointed. God knows the way through the wilderness, all we need do is to follow and keep following. Only good things will happen if you follow to the end. Remember, the picture will only get clearer as the days, weeks, months and even years go by. May your love for him be so unswerving that nothing on earth takes away your attention from Him. Again, remember that a man of God must first be a boy of God. You must accept your days of trial as training experience that will translate you into the man of God you want to become. Rome was not built in a day. Accept the fact that you are passing through a process and that you will come out better one of these days.
A LEADER’S MAIN TASK
A leader’s main task is not to please men. Many ministers today are nothing short of men’s pleasers. They please their superiors to remain in a good position, in a large church or get some kind of favour. They may even descend as low as becoming errand boys of big leaders just to curry favour and blackmail others. A leader’s main goal is to lead the people to God and not to self interest as being demonstrated today. The church is in dare need of leadership, not self seeking style, but God seeking. Everything in life is secondary, but pleasing God is primary. We may enjoy success and popularity as leaders, having served a long time in that position, but if we fail to please God, we have failed everywhere. God is more interested in our obedience to Him than He is in our landed properties, houses, estates, cars, fat bank account and industries. A true man of God may have these things but does not boast of his earthly possessions. He knows that we all are strangers on earth. And that we cannot take those earthly and sometimes ill gotten wealth to the grave. Naked we came, naked we return. Life’s success is not measured by how much you have, but by how much you impacted mankind with your love, affection, sympathy, and empathy.
Bringing joy to fellow mankind, wiping the tears of those that mourn, giving to the needy and caring for the less privileged should be a leader’s task. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
DON’T BE A PLEASER OF PEOPLE
The importance of servant leadership cannot be over emphasized. No wonder Paul tells the Galatian brethren:
“Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Gal. 1:10). NKJV
Pleasing God simply means doing those things that makes God smile at us. We may be methodically correct, but spiritually incorrect. Let’s move right into the heart of God, that’s bringing joy to God and to our fellow mankind by our selfless leadership. When we do these things, only heaven knows what we will become. But if we pursue earthly goods, we may lose heavenly goods. One pit fall is that you may be tempted to serve so that people will see how humble you are and applaud you. No, anything you do in order to attract praises you have received your reward already. It’s difficult for a proud/arrogant person to pretend to be humble because he’s looking for something. It wouldn’t be long before his pride will manifest. “Merely all men could stand adversity, but if you want to know a man’s character, give him power – Abraham Lincoln.
Again, this is sad to say. Know it as a servant of God that not all the sheep in the church may like you. Some may not. Most times it depends on what they have heard about you which some of your fellow ministers may have told them. Other times, it may just be that they don’t like where you come from as per your place of origin. They may have one bias or the other against you. When you sense that, do nothing than focus on your purpose which is to please God. Do all you can to show love to everyone. Ensure you don’t preach or teach using such inference as references. I assure you that over time the people will naturally come back to love you and confess the ills they have done against you. Church members rarely have problems with their ministers, but fellow ministers know how to discredit their colleagues in order to be more acceptable especially when they perceive their office to be more important than life. When the unwillingness to let go reigns supreme, every evil work manifests, such as, character assassinations, lying, cajoling, and political intrigue takes over. But no matter what any person does against you, the will of God will prevail over the will of man. Whether people treat us fairly or not, we should not respond like them. When you are being attacked in the public by a superior officer, don’t respond publicly in defense, your silence will certainly make him look immature and contentious. He may end up losing what he wanted to gain.
THE APOSTLES’ EXAMPLE
The main goal of a Christian leader is to please God. As you read through the book of Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles, you discover that the Apostles had difficulty gaining credibility with many of the people they encountered. The gospel of Jesus Christ came to the people in a more radical way different from what they knew from the traditional orthodox Jewish point of view. This difference attracted official opposition. One of the good examples was when Peter and John were taken before Annas and Caiaphas to explain how they had healed the cripple at the temple gate. When they gave testimony that he was healed by the name of Jesus Christ, the rulers instructed Peter and John “to speak no longer to anyone in this name” (Acts 4:17). But the apostles replied, “judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19). This type of conviction and boldness marked the ministry of the Apostles. The early church took strong stand on every issue that they faced. No doubt, many of them were eventually martyred for their refusal to compromise their faith or message.
This type of conviction was what made Apostle Paul unique. Paul explained to his readers why his methods and message were above reproach. His goal in life was not to please men, but God. He made that same point clear as he addressed his critics in Galatia (Galatians 1:10). He had no desire in being men pleasers. Indeed, he summed up his life goal in one verse.
“ Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13 – 14) NKJV
As a present day leader, what is the motivating force driving your life as you lead the people of God? Is it money, popularity, numerical growth, or any earthly reward such as cars or buildings? I believe the answer is no. Our major motivation should be wanting to please God at all times. Anything less than that, is not worthy of Christian leadership.
THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS
Jesus humbled Himself and served His father’s purposes. True humility and service will be recognized and appreciated someday, sometime. At the conclusion of Jesus’ baptism, God speaks, “This is my son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased” (Matt 3:17). God the father was delighted with the way Jesus had lived during His first thirty years on earth, first as a child, then as a carpenter. His life had honored and blessed his father.
In another occasion with Peter, James, and John, up into a mountain and was “transfigured before them” (Matt. 17:1-8). God’s voice came from the cloud, again saying, “This is my son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased” (verse 5). What a wonderful pronouncement this was! Remember that Jesus had gone through three years of temptation, criticism, exhausting ministry, overcoming demons, teaching, fasting, family rejection and many more. But in all of these, no time or moment did He ever fail to please God! No wonder the divine pronouncement “my son whom I love”. May God help us to serve Him to the point we can hear a heavenly pronouncement in our spirits that we are God’s children and that He is well pleased with us. That ought to be our daily prayers.
Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. (Matt. 17:1-8) NKJV