True Leadership

“So Jesus called them all together and said, “You know that the rulers of the heathen have power over them, and the leaders have complete authority. This, however, is not the way it shall be among you. If one of you wants to be great, you must be the servant of the rest; and if one of you wants to be first, you must be the slave of the others— like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life to redeem many people.”” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭20‬:‭25‬-‭28

Our society often focuses number one.‬ We crave power. We desire to be recognized for our greatness. We expect to be first. It doesn’t matter than we can’t all be number one. Only one person can be the greatest in an area. Only one person can be first‭. Jesus knew that human desire is to be the best. Human desire is to be the one in authority, not the one under authority. Looking at just the market size for personal development and leadership development on can see our society’s focus.

According to Grand View Research, The global personal development market size was valued at USD 41.81 billion in 2021 and is anticipated to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5% from 2022 to 2030. The growing emphasis on acquiring new skills, such as social skills and decision-making skills, for self-improvement, personal development, and gaining self-recognition is a major factor expected to drive the market growth over the forecast period.  According to a 2019 article from Forbes, leadership training is $366 billion global industry.

Yet Jesus, told his disciples that His followers are called to be great through service. He let them know that if they want to be first, they must serve. It is not about complete authority, it was about humility and relationship.

People want someone that they can relate to, that knows what they are doing, and why they are doing it. They want someone not afraid to jump in and help. People do not someone that just stands back and watches them struggle offering suggestions and criticism. They want someone who will communicate and teach them in the moment.

Jesus was an active leader in ministry. He demonstrated. He acted with integrity. He taught. He corrected. He loved. He cared. He walked along side those He was leading.

Those things shouldn’t be a billion dollar industry. Jesus did them seemingly for free or actually at a huge price to Himself. He laid down His life for those He led and for those who would accept His free gift. True leadership is something learned in a class or program, it is learned in relationship.