by Carlos Verastegui, Executive Director with the YMCA of Greater San Antonio
Being a leader is often received with the pressure of having to deliver, perform or achieve.
Some embrace it as motivation – with every victory comes confidence, growth, and a reputation.
Take a look at Tom Brady, arguably the greatest quarterback of all time. He’s played in 11 Super Bowls, earned seven championship rings, and selected as MVP six times.
As a captain of his team, he is respected by his peers and known to lead by example.
He’s not afraid to ask anyone to do anything he wouldn’t do himself, modeling servant leadership.
As impressive as those athletic accolades are, there was someone who modeled what it means to be the greatest servant leader in every area of life: Christ Jesus.
When I was in Jerusalem recently our group was able to spend some time in what is thought to be the site of the Upper Room where Jesus shared his last Passover meal with his disciples.
While there we took time to remember what he said and did, which included Jesus humbly performing the lowest of servants’ task, washing the dirt off the feet of his disciples, covered only with a towel around his waist.
Jesus, King of the Jews, the Son of God, the powerful healer who also fed thousands of people – he flipped the roles, showing them what servant leadership can look like, serving instead of commanding, showing humility instead of brandishing authority, empowering his disciples to go out and serve others as He did.
Have you ever been put in a position where you gave up the comforts of being the boss to jump in the fire to help out that front-line worker with their duties?
Did you do it reluctantly, willingly, or free because it was the right thing to do?
Can you honestly say to yourself that you are not above that?
Jesus didn’t. He took it as an opportunity to teach his disciples how to be a servant leader.
Please pray with me:
God, give us humility so that we may plant seeds in others by flipping the roles of leadership to model servanthood as living stones, just as Jesus did. Amen
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place.
“Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.
“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”
Jesus, in the Upper Room [Gospel according to John, 13.12-17]
This YMCA devotion series brought to you by onPrinciple – click here to learn more about it – a new leadership development program to strengthen the presence of Christ in the YMCA
Click here for the entire devotion series as a downloadable PDF booklet.
