Leader–Who? Me?
Isn’t this a lovely photo? Perhaps it seems peculiar to take a photo of a graveyard. Yet, the scene was so compelling, I simply had to. Last Friday, 1st January, I’d finished my work at the church office and I was walking home. Low-hanging grey clouds drabbed the skies. An ancient fir tree, which I’d walked by countless times previously, appeared different—the pine cones appeared lavender. I walked on, thinking how pretty it was. I wasn’t six feet away when I decided to go back and take a photo.
The photo also reveals the paved path I was walking on. That path was leading me in the direction of home.
Recently, the Holy Spirit has been speaking to me about leadership. My initial reaction is to cringe, and hope I can continue to avoid the idea of stepping into a leadership position.
However, as reported in Matthew 25:14–30 Luke 19:11–27, Jesus teaches us that the wicked servant will lose not only the talent he was given, but also lose everything that goes with it. The wicked servant had a false idea about the Master, which is why he hid.
In truth, the Father is very patient and kind, providing insight into the talents He has given us, and leads us in many ways to discover those talents and how to use them.
The first principle that He showed me was that leadership is not about enforcing power. Rather it is about serving.
Jesus taught leadership when his disciples were arguing about who ‘got to be the boss’. Mark recorded, “34But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:34-35).
Jesus demonstrated leadership. The Creator of the World knelt before each of his disciples, lovely removed their sandals and washed their feet. All the while, He taught them of the Father’s enabling love.
Leadership is about only One Person—Jesus. And leadership is about sharing the Message of salvation through Jesus Christ. The focus is on Him, not His messenger.
Effective leaders see themselves as teachers—who make sharing their knowledge, wisdom, experiences; failures as well as successes—their lives’ work. Perhaps the best examples are parents. Whether they recognise it or not, parents are automatically leaders. The little people simply mimic what they see Dad & Mum do. Children learn language, culture, family history and find support as their grow and develop physically, emotionally and intellectually.
In the early 1980’s I owned and operated a one-person barber shop. When there were no customers, I spent time reading the Bible, praying and learning how to simply “hang-out” with Jesus. Discovering the beauty of the Old Testament led to reading through Isaiah.
I was in my early 20’s, and single. I dreamed of marriage and family. As I was reading Isaiah 54:1-3, the verses grabbed my attention.
“Sing O barren one, you who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child. For the [spiritual] children of the desolate on will be more than the children of the married wife, say the Lord. Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitation be stretched out; spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes, for you will spread abroad to the right hand and to the left; and your offspring will possess the nations and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.”
At that time, I thought I would be married and give birth to my own children as well as having spiritual children. I didn’t understand the implications of the Holy Spirit’s words as they dropped into my spirit.
“You will be a mother to many children who are not your own.”
Well, here I am at 62, and all my children are Spiritual children. Collectively I served about five years as a missionary with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). I keep in touch with some of the young people I met.
At age 42 I went back to college, lived in the dorms with the 18-23-year-olds. I was like a mom-away-from-mom. I keep in contact with a few of them.
Through different church families I have made connections with young people.
And, probably most significantly, I have been blessed to be enfolded in love by my step-son and three step-daughters, and 23 grandchildren.
I have come to understand that the leadership I am called to is motherhood. I can embrace the call to Spiritual Motherhood on a deeper level. I am going to walk this path, and occasionally stop in my tracks—because what I behold is worth stopping to take a photo of, making a memory, giving thanks for what God is doing.