A quick thought on leadership this morning. The Bible is chock-full of verses that say we ought to follow the example of godly men. Like a little hockey goalie trying to look like an NHL great, we ought to indeed emulate the example of a great servant leader. But who? Who do we know well, and what are some of the telltale signs of how that man plays the game of life? The style. The language. The stance. The way he listens and talks. The way he treats his wife and his kids. The way he helps strangers. The way he leads.
I love reading biographies. Kari and I recently listened to the Elon Musk bio by Walter Isaacson. He does such a balanced and well researched approach. So this last week, I started Isaacson's bio of Steve Jobs. Man, what a read. Jobs was crazy intense. An odd duck for sure, but super effective. He was a bright light that burned out fast. One of the things that stands out about Jobs was that he was always looking for a male figure to emulate. His adoptive dad, Paul, was super impactful. But many other men (some horrible and some good) also impacted him. Jobs turned away from Jesus at an early age when he heard a message on determinism (as destructive then as it is now!), but then Steve spent the rest of his life searching for spiritual truth. Sad. Tragic. I pray he found the Truth.
We all emulate someone. Men, leaders, here's my suggestion this morning: let's make it Jesus that we emulate. He's God. And for our sake, He became a man. He wants a relationship with us, and He wants us to strive to follow His example. We have the Holy Spirit guiding us to be like Him, and we have Scripture too that explains what Jesus is like and how He expects His men to live. Why on earth wouldn't we want to emulate our King?
Let's think of Jesus' character, and like little kids following our loving dad, let's imitate Jesus, following His example in everything we do. So, just briefly, pray about our Savior and jot down a few thoughts. What's He like? Contemplative. Courageous. A great question asker. Humble. Stern. Strong. Intentional. Forgiving. Loving. Funny. Quick-witted. Honest. A planner. A warrior. Resourceful. A Savior. A hymn singer. A colorful teacher and great storyteller. Respectful and loving Son. A friend. Direct. A despiser of evil men. An opposer of pride and arrogance. An honest Judge. A gift giver. A tradesman. Reliant on the Father. Powerful. A mover of mountains.
Yes, think of Jesus today as you serve and lead. He came to earth to save us, to rescue us from this evil world. He's patiently building His Kingdom through His church. He will return to earth, just as He promised He would. And Jesus will make a new earth. Those who love Him and trust Him will be part of that everlasting family of God.
Take Jesus' hand today and humbly follow Him. Take up your mat, and sin no more. Be bold. Let's be transformed by the Holy Spirit as we follow the example of Jesus. Whether you are at rock bottom and ready for change or at the top of the mountain and all things smooth sailing, either way, follow the example of Jesus.
Jesus is the Creator. And He's the one who expects His men to follow Him in everything. Jesus tells us to be innovators. We are to find new ways to build and grow. New wine, new wineskins.
Lord Jesus, thank you for this day. And for this life you've given us, to stay focused on building Your Kingdom. Please help us to be the men you expect of us. Amen.
Me with Ben when he was little. We had a blast celebrating his 27th birthday last night. I've sure loved the last five years or so when we've all been on adventure together in the States.
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