Readings for today: Nehemiah 12:27-13:31, 1 Corinthians 11:1-16, Psalms 35:1-16, Proverbs 21:17-18
“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)
There is only one litmus test for a truly Christian leader. Do they imitate Christ? Do their lives reflect the humility and sacrifice of Christ? Do they seek to serve and give their lives as a ransom for many? Do they pick up their cross? Do they practice self-denial for the sake of others? Do they actively align their lives with Scripture and live according to God’s commands? Do they love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength? Do they love their neighbor - as Jesus defined “neighbor” - as themselves?
We live in a world where godly leadership seems scarce. Our politicians are corrupt. Our business leaders are greedy. Our pastors are self-promoting. Our social media celebrities narcissistic. The list of those who abuse their positions of power and exploit the system for their own gain seems endless. These are the ones who get all the press. These are the ones who get all the run in the media. These are the ones we follow on Instagram and Twitter and who appear on the grocery store rags. And it is easy to get discouraged.
But then I think of the young man I know in Washington DC who serves Jesus as a congressional aide. He works tirelessly to make the world a better place by shaping public policy. I think of the small business owner who goes about her work everyday with integrity. Cares for her employees. Pays them a fair wage and sacrifices personally to make her business grow so she can bless her community. I think of the small town pastor who offers the invocation at the local high school football game, visits his people when they are sick, preaches the Word faithfully and well, and does all he can to make his community a better place. I think of the single mom who works two jobs as she raises her kids. She makes incredible sacrifices to get them to school, practice, and eventually pay for college. I think of the church planters I know who leave their homes and families and tribes to go to unreached villages where the name of Jesus has yet to be heard. I think of the pastor I know who risks his life to save North Korean women held as sex slaves along the Chinese border.
Perhaps our problem isn’t the lack of godly leadership in the world as much as we keep looking in the wrong places. Elevating the wrong people. Paying attention to those whose erratic, extreme, and ungodly behavior makes for good headlines. Perhaps if we unfollowed the celebrities. Stopped watching cable news. Ignored the tabloids. And instead spent our time lifting up and encouraging and imitating the godly leaders we know in our lives, the world might soon become a better place?
As hard is it may be to believe, Paul was no celebrity. The Roman Empire was a big place and there was a lot going on. The centers of power and focus of attention was the emperor’s court. The march of the legions. The mob in Rome itself. No one much cared about a Jewish Pharisee from a backwater province moving from urban center to urban center planting small communities of people who committed themselves to the way of Jesus. Paul missionary journeys would not have trended on Twitter. Never would have made the evening news. No talking heads would have wasted their time on him. Even at the end of his life, he was so insignificant the Roman officials basically ignored him once he was on house arrest until his eventual execution. And yet within a couple of hundred years, these little communities Paul started would literally overrun the Empire.
Think about your own life. Think about your own leadership. What example are you setting? What legacy are you leaving behind? I firmly believe that our leadership credibility rests on our ability to imitate Christ. Not that we will ever do this perfectly. Paul called himself the “chief of sinners” and so we are but as we tune our hearts to sing His praise. As we train our feet to walk the Jesus way. As we turn our lives away from sin and towards Christ, we will leave a great blessing in our wake that will echo throughout the generations.
Readings for tomorrow: Esther 1-3, 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, Psalms 35:17-28, Proverbs 21:19-20