The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 3 October 2019 – The True Marks Of Genuine Leaders

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TOPIC: The True Marks Of Genuine Leaders

READ: 1 Peter 5:1-6 King James Version (KJV)

1. The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:
2. Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;
3. nor as being Lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;
4. and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.
5. Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
6. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

THE MESSAGE:

Today’s passage calls for the need to mirror our leadership styles and motives in the light of the Bible. While many of our leaders today are money changers and merchants, who see the ministry as a means of making money and dominating subordinates, Peter tells us a leader is humble and a servant of others. He accepts the task of being ahead (leading) without the ambition to get ahead in so doing.

We are tempted to measure leaders in terms of their success, but the Scriptures measure them in terms of their faithfulness in the midst of suffering. Success is not the test of leadership; suffering is. When we introduce a Christian speaker, we tell the audience of their educational achievements, their success in ministry (usually measured in numbers), and their acceptance by men. Peter will have none of this. And neither should we. We must desist from thinking of leadership as an honour rather than a means of expressing humility. It should be seen as an opportunity to empty ourselves in service to others rather than a sense of being fulfilled.

PRAYER: Make me a leader after Your heart, O! Lord.