Great Leaders Serve

For the longest time I have thought to be a great leader you have to have incredible leadership skills. I have thought that what is important is how creative or how organized I could be, and that this would make me a good leader. I am starting to realize that this is not the case.

There are 87 verses in the Bible that contain the word "leader".
There are 971 verses in the Bible that contain the word "servant".


"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Mark 10:45


Just recently I built a resume and had a whole section devoted to my skills and capabilities. Some of the things I listed expressed my leadership abilities rather than describing my passion to serve.

Jesus, the human-form of God on earth was the greatest leader of all time. Literally thousands of people followed him around just to hear the crazy stories he told. He never held a political office, never was Lead Pastor at a church, never served as Manager of a major corporation...no. Instead, Jesus (God) washed feet, healed the sick, raised friends from the dead, and then died for us, and all the time His life was marked by humility and love.

"God, I want to be a leader. In fact, I want to be the best leader possible. Help me to better understand that the true marks of an effective leader are Godliness, integrity, stability, humility, love, diplomacy, decisiveness, and vision. But most importantly, an effective leader is one marked by servanthood. Help me to be the servant you have called me to be. Amen."