Over the next few blogs, I will outline 5 things I have learned in leadership. These key things have helped shape my “philosophy” in youth ministry and overall leadership especially in the church. Here’s one that is so dear to me…
Wait at HIS Feet…
In the book of Luke, there’s an amazing story about how Martha and Mary were making preparations for the visitation of Jesus. Jesus came to the house and knocked on the door. Martha welcomed Jesus into her house and headed to the Kitchen to finish making preparations. Mary took Jesus into the living room to rest. She sat down at his feet and simply gazed at him, listening to His Heart. While Jesus was speaking, Martha interrupts Him demanding that He rebukes Mary for not helping her. Jesus replies to Martha, saying, “You are so worried about the little things. Mary has not done wrong but has done right. In fact, she has done the only thing that was required and it will always benefit her.” – Luke 10:38-42 (Highly Paraphrased)
Being a Christian leader does not merely mean SERVING, but it does mean LISTENING… Listening to Jesus at his feet, simply waiting! We are in an age where we as leaders are so concern about serving others and putting on the big events that we forget that we are called to surrender to the leadership of Jesus. We find ourselves welcoming Jesus into our life, but not waiting on and listening to his Heart. We can take some valuable lessons from Mary in her desire to not so much worry about serving but spend time with Jesus. The man Christ Jesus – the foretold Messiah and Son of God is in your presence, in the flesh at your home and you are concerned with the preparations for the party. This is how we treat God sometimes in our churches… We strive so hard to do everything for everybody, that we forget that Jesus is the reason we are doing this for. JESUS IS THE PARTY!
Leader – When was the last time you just patiently waited on God listening, before you started “doing”? LEADERSHIP begins at the feet of Jesus! The Bible records 3 different times (Luke 10:38-42, John 11:32, Matthew 26:6-13) where Mary of Bethany surrendered to Jesus. In all 3 times, she sat down and gazed [worshiped/waited] upon Jesus. It is in this, I believe we have the greatest account of Leadership in the Bible.
I realized that I was MARTHA to the fullest, and if I wanted to last in ministry and life as a whole, I needed to be found as MARY (Luke 10:38-42) Share on X.
I remember when I was in a season of just pure dryness in ministry… I was doing everything I could to serve others and “do good” – going to outreach events, conferences, visiting other churches, counseling young people and just doing whatever I could to be “someone” in ministry while dealing with the foolishness of ministry. Let me note that all those “things” I was doing was great and valuable for the Kingdom of God… but I was totally dull and bored in my spiritual journey. It was in this season that my heart yearned for something deeper than just “doing.” God sent me to Luke 10:38-42 as I was prepping another message and I was just simply mesmerized at the beauty of God’s Grace as Mary sat at Jesus’ feet. From that day forward, my whole attitude and mindset change concerning Leadership and what God wanted his believers to focus on. I realized that I was MARTHA to the fullest, and if I wanted to last in ministry and life as a whole, I need to be found as MARY.
You were meant to be and live like Mary… To wait on Jesus and just seek Him. Psalm 24:5-6, Lamentations 3:25-26, Matthew 6:33, Psalms 37:4, Psalms 27:4 Isaiah 55:6, plus many others must grip our heart concerning giving ourselves solely to Jesus. Serving others and planning should always be out of an intimate and overflowing relationship with Jesus – Love GOD, then Love PEOPLE!
We must cultivate and nourish a lifestyle of prayer, fasting, worship, and studying our bibles… it must be the main priority of our day. I urge you to wholeheartedly carve out time in your own schedule where you are seeking God and spending quality time with Him… growing your Spirit. It will never be taken away from you – for you have done the one thing that is needed. Whatever your form of leadership (style), and at what level (youth, sports, urban, etc ) of ministry — it must always start and end at the feet of Jesus.
Serving others and planning should always be out of an intimate and overflowing relationship with Jesus - Love GOD, then Love PEOPLE! Share on X
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