In our day no one wants to serve, just to be served. Self-made people are exalted in our culture. Those who’ve made it from rags to riches are looked to as role-models and people we should emulate. Furthermore, lifestyles that revolve around serving others are denigrated in our culture (take stay at home moms for instance).  Yet, in the Scriptures, Jesus reverses our understanding of leadership and paints a picture that is completely antithetical to what think of as leadership today.

We will use 1 Timothy 3:8-16 as a “topical springboard” from which to jump off into the topic of Servant Leadership. I believe the text allows us to do this due to the fact that there are three basic definitions for the word Deacon.

1. Literally: to wait on tables.
2. Generally: to serve others
3. Generally: Christian service

At Paradox we plan to utilize the role and office of Deacon in the church to serve the specific needs of the church. We believe the Deacons are to be under the authority of the Elders and that both men and women can hold the office of Deacon.

For leaders in the church (Pastors/Elders, Deacons, Members, ministry leaders and so on), servant leadership is an imperative.  You cannot lead, if you will not serve.

“And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, ‘If anyone would be first, he must be last of and servant of all’” (Mark 9:35).

Jesus turns our culture’s (and His own) leadership paradigm upside down. I can’t say this is my idea, I give the credit to Pastor Ben Izzard whom I worked with for several years as a Youth Pastor, but I’d like to make all future Elders serve as a janitor, cleaning toilets, before they are allowed to lead.

We truly want to make sure, in a very real way, that we are taking Jesus’ words seriously. They are incredible, challenging and convicting.

So what I’d like to do is give 10 Servant Leadership Principles.

1. A Servant Leader does not look for power or prominence. A true leader is not necessarily seeking just to gain power, significance and importance in front of people. A leader will often find that he or she is thrust into leadership positions regardless of their desire or effort.
2. Leadership follows obedience. Real leaders do what God has told them to do. For them, they lead more because they were told to by Jesus as apposed to their joy or passion (this does not mean they don’t enjoy or have passion to lead, this simply means it is second to their desire to obey).
3. No task is unfitting. There is nothing that is “below” a servant leader. Nothing too dirty or gross. Servant leaders do not serve only when it’s glamorous, but even when it’s unnoticed, messy and possibly dirty.
4. Other’s needs are greater. A leader must know how to be spent for others. They must realize that other people’s needs are greater than their own. This is how they serve others. When a leader is tired, frustrated or simply does not want to serve, they know that other’s needs are more important than their own and serve anyway. However, this does not mean that a leader neglects God-given responsibilities such as school work, job, wife and kids to serve.
5. A Servant Leader is never a martyr. A Martyr is someone who serves, but does so begrudgingly and angrily as a way to get their point across that they are not happy about doing what they are doing. True leaders do not do this, they serve joyfully.
6. A Servant Leader does not grow weary. True leaders get tired, but don’t grow weary. Tiredness is running low on physical, emotional or spiritual energy. Weariness is giving up or responding to stress sinfully due to being tired or frustrated. Leaders are called upon to serve long hours and work hard, they must be strong and persevere when they are tired and finish the task they are called to.
7. A Servant Leader considers themself last or least. You should be very skeptical of any leader that thinks he or she is a big deal. They are not a big deal, Jesus is a big deal. A leader is humble, not prideful.
8. A Servant Leader recognizes their own sin. Any leader that does not repent is not a leader. Leaders are all sinful people and therefore, they need to repent of their sin.
9. A Servant Leader is sacrificial. Leaders will be called upon to sacrifice their time, funds and talents to serve Jesus in a multiplicity of ways. A leader must hold everything in their life with an open hand and allow Jesus to use them and call them to sacrifice everything for Him.
10. A Servant Leader sets an example. Leaders understand that people are following them and that people are watching. They don’t shrink from this responsibility, but understand it is important for them to set an example for others.

A leader must begin with a servant heart. Jesus wasn’t kidding when He said:

“And he said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves’” (Luke 22:25-36).