Leading with Love

"Instead the greatest among you should be like the youngest and the one who rules like the one who serves." Luke 22:26


Leaders in organizations are often rewarded for their control of others and their ability to win at all costs. In this day and age, we often confuse winning muscle with courageous leadership. And, in this day, we are suffering because of that confusion. No one wants to be a loser or a servant. No one wants to share and sit at the kids table. All of us want to be the final survivor who has beat out everyone else and won the game by
conning an conniving and coercion. We are so steeped in a culture of winners and losers that we often think God is blessing our lives when we have beat out someone else. I am convinced that Gods blessing is seen most clearly in community. Gods blessings are those which raise everyone up.

I am convinced that one of the hardest things for humans to do is to remain humble when given some authority. A little bit of authority goes a long way. I was observing the crossing guards in our community this morning as I was returning from the train station. My first reaction was to be impatient and angry about them delaying me. They love to stand in the middle of our street and tie up traffic. They seem to revel in holding up fifty cars to cross one child at a time. While I waited, I then remembered that they have responsibility to keep the children safe for that small amount of time in the morning. I was the one who didn't want to let go of control and authority. I might have wanted to win at any cost, even in my small drive from the train station.Today, instead of my automatic reaction to the world around me, I want to try to follow Jesus. I want to be willing to serve. I want to share the blessings God has given me and not abuse the power and role God has called me to. In the dead center of Advent, I want to prepare my heart in a new way by accessing humility and the life of a servant. I want to be happy in the smallest of things, from laundry, to vacuuming, to waiting until all the children cross, to doing the dishes. May we all take time this Advent to invite the Savior of the world who washed the disciples feet into our hearts. May Christ's love leads us all in the coming days.