Humble Leader

Everyone wants to be on stage or in the spot light sharing their opinion about life. 

Most of us believe that we have something important to say and expect that everyone wants to hear it. Pastors want more people to come and join their churches but wonder why they cannot grow. Others like myself have a blog or Facebook page and expect everyone to be amazed by our knowledge of life and our cool beach pictures. Christians witness to people so that they can talk about their testimony and their lives without truly listening to the person they are speaking to.

“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: you must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” James 1:19

Are we all really that impressive? Do we really believe that everyone needs to hear our words? Maybe we should focus more on stewarding the people God has placed in our life so that we can properly equip them and they can reach others. Maybe I should actually listen to people and understand their situation rather than quickly speaking my opinion. 

In order to do this, we need mentors who are willing to do the work and spend the extra time without getting any of the credit. We need leaders who can personally connect with others on a weekly basis by encouraging, equipping, discipling, and praying for them. 

Churches are a great place for believers to get strengthened in their faith and for the lost to seek a personal relationship with God. Pastors are great leaders who manage and equip other leaders so that they can grow as a healthy church. The preaching on Sunday is their free gift to people who are looking for answers and a purpose for living. We do not tithe to hear a Sunday sermon, but rather for the leadership, accountability, prayer, and comfort we get from the whole body of the church throughout each week. 

“Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,” 1Peter 5:6 

A great mentor will humbly accept their gift that God has equipped them with while understanding that they may never get noticed for their good works. We can be at peace with this by understanding the grace God has on our life even while we were still lost and still make mistakes. We can also be inspired to do this knowing that our reward will be eternity with our Father. 

In my early years as a Believer, I enjoyed when pastors and others would publicly praise me. I became addicted to it and wanted to be praised all of the time. I justified this by thinking that I am doing God’s work. What’s wrong if I enjoy a little praise for my work? My pride soon took over and I realized I was doing good things not only to glorify God, but to seek praise from others. I realized that I had never been praised or noticed before. I looked back on my childhood and my early adult years and found that I had never been encouraged or praised from others including my parents. So when I got a taste of it in church, I wanted more. For the first time in my life, I felt wanted and needed by others. This was an awesome feeling and there is nothing wrong with wanting to feel wanted by others. 

The problem is when our pride takes over and we lose focus of our purpose.

Personal challenge - Find five people that will praise me and talk about how I have impacted their lives positively and then go find five more who will say the exact opposite about me.

I do not like this statistic and cannot confirm it’s accuracy, but do believe that the ratio would be close. It is obviously not my intention to be rude to people or have anyone dislike me. However, it is very likely that I will forget to speak to someone, spend time with another, or put my priorities in front of people who are close to me. 

If we choose to take any credit for our work, we have to include and account for all of our personal experiences.

I began to realize that I was needed by others, but I did not need praise or recognition to confirm it. I watched and learned as my mentors did amazing things while never getting noticed. I now take great joy in mentoring others while not getting any credit for it. My treasure is waiting for me in heaven. I find true joy in watching others grow in their faith.

Conclusion:

The fact is that if our hearts and intentions are right and focused on God… 

We all have something important to say.

We do not need a stage or large group of people to say it to. We just need one person. 

I enjoy spending more time away from the spot light or the popular crowds trying to impress people with my knowledge. I would rather focus more on the quieter areas where people are looking for something deeper and seeking more than just a place to fit in and meet new friends.