That’s the wrong question to ask. I was meeting with a local leader recently and he made a statement that really challenged me.
He said, “I used to think that because I was a leader, my neighbors should know who I am. However, over the years, God has really taught me that because I am a leader, I should know who my neighbors are.”
(Photo Credit: City Edge)
In the Bible, Jesus is asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus answered by telling him the story of the Good Samaritan. In the story, two leaders pass by someone in need and do nothing. A “despised” Samaritan comes across the man in need and met his need.
Jesus finishes the story by asking his audience which of the three was a neighbor to the man in need? The audience guessed the man who met the need. Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
The lesson: Leadership is not about a title or about how many people know who you are. Leadership is about who you know and who you serve.
If we are going to be the leaders God is calling us to be, we need to know who are neighbors are, what their needs are, and how we can serve them. If we’re not careful, we will fall into the trap of thinking leadership is all about us when it’s really about others.
We should not expect people to know who we are because of our position or what we’ve done. People should know who we are because we take time to get to know them and serve them.
Application:
- If you are a manager, how many of your staff do you know and serve?
- If you are a leader of a ministry, how many people in your ministry do you know and serve?
- In the community you live in, how many of your neighbors do you know and serve?
- How many people who you interact with on a daily basis do you know and serve?
While it’s impossible to know and serve everyone, we need to take initiative to know and to serve the people who God surrounds us with on a daily basis.
Who can you get to know and serve today?
Thoughts?
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