Of all the occupation, a “Leader” lives with the greatest tensions between being a servant and a leader. Jesus poses a dilemma for us when he says, “whosoever will be great among you let him by your minister, and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant’ (Matthew 20:26-27)

As we look at this dilemma Jesus posses, this indicates that for one to get further or productive, he/she must first give. Or another way for saying this is, to be a leader you must follow.

On one side of the self contradictory statement is our image of a leader, a person with power, having the ability to inspire enthusiasms, interest in others by means of personal influence, and impressive achievement.

The trouble begins when we try to reconcile that image with our thoughts about what a servant should be – ready to submit to others, modest and reserved, not praised and honored. Trying as we might, human efforts to combine these qualities into the role of the servant-leader fail us.
According to E.F. Shumacher, he states that our age is frustration in two conflicting images of leadership. One images is the shining star at the top of the Christmas tree, bright visible and dominant. The other image is the balloon-seller at the country fair, a drab and paltry holder of strings. In human terms, one is a leader, and the other is a servant. Only a cryptic mind can see through the fallacy in both images. The shining star at the top of the Christmas Tree depends upon the nuts in the branches, while the holder of the strings depends on the hot air in the balloons above. Needless to say, the paradox of the servant-leader can be resolves only in the example given to us by Jesus Christ Himself
A case study is Scripture illustrates the Spirit of Jesus as we see servant-leader-Clergy and laity, in action. In the opening chapters of Acts of the Apostle, we read about the miraculous growth of the church after Pentecost. Then it happens, numbers of coverts out run the available food supply internal conflict and the infant church is threatened with early extinction. Acts 6:1-6 records the conflict and the resolution.

Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of Faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.

The outline for analyzing the case for servant leadership comes from directly from the text.

To LEAD is to SERVE. For you to be a good leader you must be a good servant. For leaders are true servants

Motivation speaker/author Carl Mathis
Author of  Pursuing Your Purpose.
For more info go to https://www.carlmathisbooks.com