Wrapping up Week 15 of the "Lead Today" series that I have been co-teaching, the lesson focused on Jesus as the perfect servant leader. Jesus really is a very unexpected role-model. Over the weeks, we pondered 5 levels of leadership.
"The beginning level of leadership is POSITION. Most people start on this level with others. Real leadership growth begins at Level 2, where you earn the ability to influence others by building a relationship with them. Once you have gained their trust over time, you can begin to help them be successful and productive as part of the team. PERMISSION. This is a high level of accomplishment as a leader, as is moving to Level 3. PRODUCTION. But excellent leaders pursue moving to Level 4, where they invest in others helping them become better leaders. PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT. Only the very best leaders ever make it to Level 5. They do this by spending a lifetime serving, leading, and investing in others. PINNACLE"
The reason why I believe Jesus is a phenomenal leader is because He was and is King of the Universe; there at the beginning of time and part of creation. He knew me before I was born. He gave up His pinnacle position on the throne and came to earth in the position of a human baby. Jesus influenced those around Him, but more importantly, He has greatly influenced my life.
I have been watching a few episodes of "Undercover Boss" lately, and while sitting in class, I imagined Jesus being the ultimate leader in an undercover position. Jesus gave up His Heavenly throne, to be the Son of a carpenter. Jesus learned, taught, and experienced. He has been through mockery, rejection, hunger, tiredness, denial, homelessness, and so much more, so that He could die in my place. Christ had a crown of thorns placed on His divinely human head, so that I could become a part of the Kingdom of Heaven.
My eternal King has already sat down in my heart and had a chat with me. I know that I have a place in eternal glory with Him. I'm a part of the company of Saints. I have so much to keep learning from my boss - patience, forgiveness, discernment, wisdom, courage, clarity of speech and more. At the same time, I rejoice that I get to be a part of the Kingdom business already - teaching Bible to primary students, leading discipleship classes, digging into His Holy Word and sharing it with others, serving as a missionary in Gulu, Uganda, and being His hands and feet on behalf of a few churches and saints in North America.
Right now, my heart is blessed to have Christ as the Leader of my Life.