Leadership is different in the kingdom of God. Jesus told his disciples, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave” (Matthew 20:25-27 NLT)

So, leadership is upside down!??

How do we do this in the church? As we are praying together and asking God to raise leaders among us this is a good question to ask. How do we lead and take responsibility, while also making space for more leaders to grow and contribute? There is a tension in ministry of trying to lead without getting in the way. It’s hard to do that when you are in the front of the line.

Remember playing follow-the-leader when you were a kid? If the person in front stops, everybody stops. If the person in front turns left, everyone turns left. You get the picture. I want to suggest a different kind of leadership in the church. Rather than leading from the front, we lead alongside others.

We all have different strengths and experiences to share, but we also all have room to grow and much to learn. Walking alongside others positions us to learn from each other and have the humility that Jesus showed. It also prevents a leader from getting in the way!

I think about this a lot with my kids. For example, I’ve done a lot of music in my life, but I’m not very good at teaching music. So, instead of making my kids learn music and forcing it on them, I’ve simply shared my love of music with them. I’ve come alongside them and we’ve enjoyed music together and they’ve gone much farther than I could have led them. (And they are still growing!)

When a leader is positioned over others, there is a limit on growth. However, when we walk alongside each other, there is no limit from the leader and people can run ahead into whatever God is calling them to.

There is something powerful about this that makes me excited! It takes the pressure off of our leaders and helps us all to just adventure together with God. We can encourage each other and achieve more than we thought was possible alone.

I want to encourage you to dream big and look for how God is leading you. How can you come alongside someone and encourage them or receive encouragement? May God raise up leaders and may we stay in step alongside him!

From Peter's Blog: https://peterbales.substack.com.