Just few hours ago, I attended a meeting with the worship team and we had a simple activity that promoted transparency within the group. Each one prepared a sheet of paper with his/her name on the top portion of the paper. We folded the paper once and wrote on the left side - “strengths” as the heading then “weaknesses” on the other side. Each one in the circle fills out the 2 boxes. One paper filled, then passed counter-clockwise to the other members of the team. When the paper reached me after revolving around the circle, I started reading out what they had to say about me. In the “weaknesses” box, many of them have the same things to say about me. “Serious and too busy to miss fellowship with us”. I thank God for their honesty. I have realized then that as the head of the team, I need to establish good relationship with them. I need to spend time with them and love them even more.
How can I lead them if I can’t truly love them. That is what I have realized. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 says we have lives to share not just knowledge to pass. God has reminded me that leading them is more than guiding them. Jesus Christ sets the finest example to share life by being our good shepherd – John 10:11.
The Shepherd leads, feeds, nurtures, comforts, corrects, and protects the sheep. He has a good relationship with the sheep that’s why the flock remains following him. The sheep recognizes his voice and eat/drink what he provides, that’s because everyone in the flock trusts him. Building trust is a hard thing to do but in establishing a wholesome relationship with our disciples, it is not an intricate subject at all.
Apostle Paul said: Follow me as I follow Christ – 1 Corinthians 11:1. Truly, a Christian leader follows Christ and inspires others to follow Him as well. Jesus never fails to spend quality time with His disciples so why won’t I follow His example. Thanks to my brothers and sisters who have rebuked me about it. If Jesus is in my place, He will make it a point to spend more time with the team, to empower them and show them that I love them. I will do it as well.
Statistics point out that 68% of people leave a group/organization because of attitude of indifference. God reminded me that to keep the flock from getting scattered, I need to know their indifferences and do something about what I will discover. No matter how different is one member from another, as long as we have the same Christ, we will remain intact with the body. I need to respect them for what or who they are because I actually don’t have the right to reject them. Relationship by God’s grace is the key for me to understand this.
John 10:14, Jesus said: “I know my sheep and they know me. I am willing to die for them.” God called us to join Him in His work, not to govern people. We are tasked to be humble slaves, not slick celebrities. God wants laboring servants who will love His people by having a heart that is willing to die for them. I need to have a clear understanding of the needs of people I am leading to God. I can do this by reaching out to them and care to know their necessities. The sacrificial love that Jesus has set for His disciples is well illustrated when He washed His disciples’ feet – John 13. Jesus did it to show them what they need to learn when Jesus leaves. God wants His disciples to understand the real meaning of servant leadership through that example. Jesus knew exactly how to set it and so the fact that we are here today, believing in our God, Jesus has definitely done an awesome job!
Love is not an emotion, it is an action. God reminded me that it is not enough to tell them I love them. I have to put my words into action. For me to show them I love them, I have to develop a wholesome relationship with them. To attain such ideal relationship, I need to have a more intimate relationship with God first.
Christian leadership is a position of humble, long service. This means I have ample time to develop the relationship God wants me to build up with people. Along the process, God reminds me of these 4 building blocks of relationships: love, trust, respect, understanding. (during the module 2 lesson in ‘Maintaining wholesome relationship.”)
From the lessons, I’ve got to learn that servant leadership is ‘ministry’ and not ‘management’. I should seek vision not objectives. I should appeal to my heart not to my head. My energy should be pulled through passion not control. My concern should be on what is right and not on being right. My focus are on leading people not on managing work. I have faith that all of these will be attained through Jesus. I stand helpless without Jesus.
Today, I have many plans to work out my relationship with the team, fellow believers and even the unbelievers. However, I know God’s plans will always be better than mine. For now, I am praying that God will guide me as I desire to set more time for knowing the team/believers. I am interested to establish relationship with them just like how Jesus shared life with His disciples. Jesus is my guide and so I’ll follow Him. Along this, I will continuously study, pray, obey, and testify to God’s word. As always, I will be putting Jesus first in all things – Matthew 8:34-38.
The next time we will have the same activity, I know God will allow me to never accept the same comments again. God is powerful to change me.
Lanilane Ocbina
JDC
module 2 exam part 2
