Self-care is not selfish, it’s essential for healthy leadership.  But what does it look like in practice? We’ll examine three specific areas in which we need to care for ourselves: our souls, our bodies and our gift. First, in this issue, how we take care of our inner life, our relationship with Jesus—the matters of our soul. Consider Paul’s instruction to Timothy:

  ⁷Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. ⁸For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come (1 Timothy 4:7–8, NIV).

Paul challenges Timothy to train himself to “be godly.”  This training has great value both now and in the future. Physical training, which we will examine in the next issue, has value but is not as significant as issues of the soul. Paul’s instruction provides several starting points for the kind of training that will help us care for our soul.

Taking care of your soul requires avoiding distractions.

Paul begins his exhortation to godliness by telling Timothy to avoid “godless myths and old wives’ tales.” It is easy to dismiss Paul’s instruction as advice for a different generation. He is specifically warning Timothy about spiritually unprofitable teaching, but the principle applies more broadly: some things consume our attention but do not nourish our souls. Perhaps if he were writing today he might say, “Have nothing to do with endless scrolling on social media, political debates on Facebook, and schedules packed with activity—but train yourself to be godly.” Soul care requires saying ‘no’ to some things that others may practice habitually. This kind of saying “no” is at the heart of the spiritual discipline of fasting which addresses our need to say ‘no’ to things we crave in order to focus more fully on the our soul’s craving for God. 

Some leaders measure their health by outputs: how much they produce and how full their schedule is. But serving leaders feed their souls by avoiding distractions.

 Taking care of your soul requires intentionality.

Paul tells Timothy, “train yourself.” He calls Timothy to actively focus on the care of his soul. The care of our souls requires intentionality; it will not happen simply because we keep living and leading. For centuries, spiritual disciplines have helped leaders take the time and energy needed to care for their souls. Disciplines such as meditation, prayer, fasting, Bible reading and solitude are a part of the training needed for godliness. Intentionality may require a long walk, blocking out time to be alone for reflection and listening or simply slowing down.  

Some leaders assume that if they are leading and goals are being met, all is well in their inner world. But serving leaders make their goal to walk with Jesus and cultivate a healthy soul. They intentionally structure their lives in ways that tend the garden of their heart. 

Taking care of your soul requires consistency.

The training Paul instructed Timothy to do is not a one time event. Building a life of godliness is a long-term objective, not a short-term accomplishment. Paul tells Timothy that godliness impacts both “the present life and the life to come.” It requires consistency over a long period of time. 

Some leaders are content to think of being godly in the future and neglect the daily habits that will take them there. They hope that an occasional seminar or book on prayer will take care of their soul and develop godliness. But serving leaders build regular rhythms of life that over time nourish and strengthen their souls. As they do, they become leaders better equipped to serve those they lead.

For further reflection and discussion:

What are things in my daily life that are distractions to my soul care? What is God inviting me to change so that I can avoid these distractions?

How well am I doing with these disciplines: fasting, Bible reading, meditation, prayer, solitude? What do I need to change?

What habits do I cultivate in my life that help me care for my soul? What are my daily, weekly, monthly and yearly rhythms that help me keep my soul strong? Are there changes I need to make?

What additional insights about the need for soul care do I gain from the following passages? (1 Samuel 30:6; Matthew 14:13, 23; Mark 1:35-38, 4:19; Luke 5:15-16; John 15:1-5; Acts 13:2-3; 1 Timothy 4:12-16, 6:11-12, 20; 2 Timothy 2:15-16)

Until next time, yours on the journey,

Jon Byler

In the next issue, we’ll examine care of our bodies.

Serving leaders can learn many actions from Barnabas that can increase their leadership skill and capacity. We have already reflected on his generosity, his encouragement, and his work within a team. A closer look at his story reveals the source of these positive attributes.

 ¹Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. ² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off (Acts 13:1-3, NIV).

What was Barnabas and this leadership team doing? Were they brainstorming about the future? Developing a five-year strategic plan? Setting SMART goals for the future? While these actions are all appropriate, this team was “worshipping the Lord and fasting…” The example of Barnabas shows how worship changes serving leaders.   

Worship serves by changing the heart.

This team of leaders gathered in worship. Their act of worship was an intentional shift of focus towards God. They focused their hearts and minds on God. They fasted from food as an act of denying themselves what their bodies craved. Their worship shifted the posture of their hearts away from themselves. Worship turned their focus from themselves to God.

Many leaders focus on the external actions of leadership and indeed many can be practiced without a change of heart.  But these actions will ultimately be self-serving unless there is an internal change of heart. Worship produces a change of the heart. Worship shifts the focus of the heart from self, our visions and plans and dreams, and turns our heart upward and outward. This heart change is revolutionary and prepares a serving leader to authentically serve others. It allows the leader to focus on a higher cause than selfish interest. Worship shapes the motives of our heart and forms character. Our hearts matter! Character matters! A heart change is required for the selflessness that serving leadership demands. True serving leadership begins with a heart changed by an encounter with God.

Worship serves by changing the head.

While this team worshipped, they heard the clear direction of the Holy Spirit. Without worship, they would likely have kept their minds focused on strengthening the existing church in Antioch. But in worship they experienced a shift of thinking and direction. Worship produces a change of thinking. Many leaders try to change their thinking to practice effective leadership. But serving leaders acknowledge that worship changes their thinking as needed.   

Worship serves by changing the hands.

After hearing the instruction of the Spirit, the group laid hands on Barnabas and Saul and sent them away. Consider the cost of this action. These two were the senior leaders in the church and now they were sent elsewhere! This was a totally new and unexpected course of action. Worship produces a change of actions. Serving leaders allow God to guide them in new directions as they worship. Hearts and heads that are changed result in changed actions in the hands. True serving leadership acts flow out of worship.

For further reflection and discussion:

• How does the worship of Barnabas challenge me as a leader? What action can I take this week to be more like him?
• In what ways has my heart been changed by an encounter with God? What evidence of this have I seen in the past week? If it is not evident, what is missing in my leadership and what do I need to change?
• Have I found ways to build times of worship into my leadership calendar? If so, are there ways these times can be strengthened intentionally? If not, what step can I take this week to change?
• If I am leading persons who do not value worship as a leadership practice what can I do to lead well without causing unnecessary offense?              

Until next time, yours on the journey,

Jon Byler

In the next issue, we’ll examine how Barnabas served with availability.

Getting the right person in the right place is one of the greatest challenges of leadership. We could look at the selection of leaders from a human resources position and examine resumes or CVs.

Servant leaders certainly can use these resources, but they also want their selections to follow God’s direction. Many will point to the early church to validate their preferred style for choosing leaders as the ‘biblical’ style and the best approach. But what does Acts teach servant leaders about the correct method of choosing leaders?

There are at least four distinct ways leaders were chosen in the early church. We have already examined “divine commission” and “popular selection” as different ways leaders were chosen in the early church. But here is another way. “²¹They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, ²² strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said. ²³ Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust” (Acts 14:21-23).

In this situation, Paul and Barnabas as the church leader appointed elders in each church. Let’s reflect on this kind of leadership appointment.

The process of choosing by leadership appointment. The process used by Paul and Barnabas seems quite simple, they just “appointed elders” in these churches. It does not appear that they asked for input from the church members and they did not hold an election. However, they did include “prayer and fasting” as a part of this process.

Servant leaders learn from their example that when choosing leaders this way it is helpful to seek God’s direction. Servant leaders do not use this method to put their friends or family members in leadership roles. They use this method as an act of service to those who will be under the newly appointed leaders. When servant leaders use this process in the marketplace, they are careful to consider the impact of their decision on those who will follow.

The power of choosing by leadership appointment. There are several advantages of choosing leaders by appointment. It is a simple method and can be done quickly if there is an urgent need for action. In some situations, the leader doing the appointing may have a better assessment of the person’s gifts, calling, and capacity than those who are following.

In the case of these churches, Paul and Barnabas may have realized the level of maturity in the new believers was not yet strong enough to choose the right leaders. So, this method may be an advantage in a young group. The leaders who were chosen in this way had the clear support of Paul and Barnabas, the founders of the church, and would be seen as their representatives.

Servant leaders learn from this example to carefully consider the gifts and calling of an individual and to seek God’s guidance before taking any action. Then they confidently appoint leaders for the good of all.

The pitfalls of choosing by leadership appointment. While there seems to be no problem with the appointments made by Paul and Barnabas, this approach needs to be used with caution. The power to appoint with no input from others can feed a leader’s ego and lead to bad appointments. Leaving people out of the process may work in some situations but in other contexts will result in resentment towards the leader chosen. And the loyalty of the appointed leader may be more towards the person who appointed them instead of a commitment to serve those under them.

Servant leaders wisely avoid the pitfalls of leadership appointments. Like Paul and Barnabas, they seek direction from God and appoint a team instead of individuals. They don’t allow this to be the only way leaders are ever selected.

Servant leaders see the option of choosing by leadership appointment as one of the ways God can direct the building of their team. But they also recognize that there are times that God will lead them to choose another method. In the next issue, we’ll look at the last method of choosing leaders.

Until next time, yours on the journey,

Jon Byler

For further reflection and discussion:

• How have my previous experiences and the thoughts of those around me shaped my view of the benefits or disadvantages of appointing leaders?
• How likely am I to use appointing leaders to choose a leader? If I am very likely to use it, have I consciously avoided the pitfalls of this method? If I am unlikely to use it, in what ways might God be calling me to consider this method as a practical option for my situation?
• In what situations might appointing leaders be the best choice for me to choose leaders? In what situations might appointing leaders be a poor choice for me?

In the next issue, we’ll look at selecting leaders by people development.

Choosing other leaders is one of the greatest challenges of leadership. Most leaders have had some success and likely some failure in this area. The ‘cost’ of failure is high when the selection process does not bring the right person. What is the best approach to find others who will build the team and help carry out the vision?

Many times, our cultural environment combined with our previous experiences, both positive and negative, shape our approach to how we choose leaders. Business leaders may learn to rely on a proven system of screening potential candidates to get the right person. Church leaders may lean towards a more ‘spiritual’ method that works well for their context. Then they will point to the early church to validate this method as the ‘biblical’ approach. But a look at the early church in Acts teaches servant leaders that there are at least four distinct ways leaders were chosen.

Servant leaders learn that all of them can be useful when applied in the right context and manner.

The first method of choosing leaders in the book of Acts is when God called a leader directly. This happened to Paul at the time of his conversion (see Acts 9:15-16) and again when he and Barnabas were commissioned for mission work while in Antioch.

²While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off (Acts 13:2-3).

The process of choosing by divine commission. With this method, there is no direct human intervention in the selection process. God spoke clearly through the Spirit and called Barnabas and Saul. Yes, they were uniquely qualified and already proven in leadership, but there was no application process for the role and no vote was taken!

Servant leaders acknowledge that God ultimately directs the choice of leaders. They are willing to spend time fasting and praying for His guidance. And when God speaks clearly, they lay hands on the person and bless them!

The power of choosing by divine commission. Divine commission has an obvious advantage: God has spoken! Who can argue with that? This method may be more commonly used in churches than in business environments. But even in the business realm, when servant leaders seek to follow the direction of God’s Spirit, there may be times when God’s voice overrides the voice of the Human Resource department!

Servant leaders acknowledge that God is the ultimate authority and when His direction is clear, they willingly obey!

The pitfalls of choosing by divine commission. Choosing leaders by divine commission also has some clear challenges.

First is the challenge of correctly and clearly hearing God’s voice. Much damage can be done when a leader uses the language of divine commission to give credibility to a personal choice. Servant leaders should be very cautious about saying alone, “God told me that this person should be the leader.” In Antioch, there was discernment by a group.

Another danger of using this method of divine commissioning is when a leader chooses this method simply because they don’t want to do the difficult work of discerning who the right person is. They aren’t willing or are not equipped to evaluate gifts, experience and calling of a potential leader. So, they give the choice back to God!

Interestingly, in Acts 1, Matthias was chosen by casting lots, a divine process. But first, the apostles set criteria for the role and chose two persons who met the qualifications. Then they allowed God to make the final selection through the casting of lots. Servant leaders learn from this that if the basic qualifications are not met, they will be in a ‘lot’ of trouble with this method!

Servant leaders see the option of choosing by divine commission as one of the ways God can direct the building of their team. But they also recognize that there are times that God will lead them to choose another method. In the next issue, we’ll look at one of these: popular selection.

Until next time, yours on the journey,

Jon Byler

For further reflection and discussion:

• How have my previous experiences and the thinking of those around me shaped my view of whether divine commission is a good way to choose leaders or not?
• How likely am I to use divine commission to choose a leader? If I am very likely to use it, have I consciously avoided the pitfalls of this method? If I am unlikely to use it, in what ways might God be calling me to consider this method as a practical option for my situation?
• In what situations might divine commissioning be the best choice for me to choose leaders? In what situations might divine commissioning be a poor choice for me?            

In the next issue, we’ll look at choosing leaders by popular selection.

Copyright, Global Disciples 2020.

Esther has all the qualities of a movie heroine. She was the beautiful first lady in the empire of King Xerxes, a position filled with glamor and prestige. Her rise from an orphan in exile to this position of power has captivated readers for centuries. But behind the amazing story of her life is a powerful lesson in servant leadership. Esther boldly used her position to change the destiny of her people but did so with deep humility. What does she teach us today about servant leadership?

Boldness requires a servant leader to recognize and seize opportunity.

Esther enjoyed her leadership position as the queen for at least four years before Haman, the enemy of the Jews, proposed his plot to destroy the Israelites. I imagine that she enjoyed the official duties of a queen and carried them out well. She, like many leaders today, was busy filling a role but not having much impact. She could have concluded that leadership was fun. But this crisis with Haman brought Queen Esther to the sudden realization that her position of leadership was not about herself but something far greater. Suddenly, her people faced a life and death situation and needed more than beautiful leadership, they needed bold leadership. Mordecai helped Esther recognize that she was in her royal position “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). Esther recognized that this was her moment and she, after calling for prayer, seized the opportunity boldly. She courageously went into the king’s presence at the risk of her own life, not knowing as we do, the outcome of her action. She courageously invited the king and Haman to one banquet and then another, where she shared with him the petition for her people. She boldly petitioned the king to overrule his decree through Haman. Then, after the revised decree was implemented, she boldly asked for more! At this point, her bold leadership saved her nation and established a new national holiday.

Servant leaders see their leadership positions as opportunities God has given to them to see and seize opportunities God has provided to them. They are willing to boldly take risks, not for themselves, but for the good of those they serve. They recognize that leadership is about much more than privilege and public appearances. They understand they are leading “for such a time as this.”

Humility enables a servant leader to seek God’s favor.

Esther’s boldness did not come from reading leadership books or attending a workshop on self-esteem but from humbly seeking God. When first confronted with the crisis, she called for three days of prayer and fasting, for herself and her nation. This deliberate seeking of God’s favor before acting gave Esther the boldness she needed to lead. It also emptied her of self and wrong motives. It enabled her to see God’s perspective on her leadership and to approach the king with the perspective, “if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). She now understood clearly that leadership was not about what she would get out of it. Her responsibility was to humbly obey. This humility continues through her story as she boldly exerts influence, but never dominates or draws attention to her role. She humbly resists the temptation to move quickly but waited on God’s timing to share her request with the king. If she would have talked to the king the night of the first banquet, the gallows would not have been prepared for Mordecai. Neither would the king have read the record books during his sleepless night which resulted in honoring Mordecai. She humbly brings Mordecai into the palace when he is needed. Her boldness was always combined with a deep humility from seeking God’s favor.

Boldness that comes from prayer and seeking God’s favor is a powerful force of change. Servant leaders humbly seek God’s favor, then rise up with extraordinary boldness and selfless acts of courage. May it happen in your leadership and in mine!

For further reflection and discussion:

• Take some time to read this story of Esther looking carefully at how she balanced boldness and humility. Make a list of examples of each trait as you read. What strikes you as significant?
• What opportunities has God put before you which require bold leadership? What are the risks involved? Does your leadership style naturally embrace risks quickly or are you more cautious by nature? What is the result?
• Do you regularly find ways to seek God’s favor? Are there leadership issues in your experience right now which are significant enough to call for a day or 3 days of prayer and fasting? Are there others whom you should call to join you in seeking God’s favor?

The first response of Nehemiah to the desperate needs of his city was prayer. “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven” (Nehemiah 1:4). His heart was deeply stirred by the report from Jerusalem and he responded with several days of prayer. We noted in the last issue that prayer was already a foundational part of Nehemiah’s daily life, not a response to an emergency. His life of prayer now gives birth to the vision that God has for his life. Leaders are action oriented and our first response is often to move into action, to do something to meet a need. But servant leaders learn from Nehemiah that vision flows out of prayer. Prayer gives birth to vision in several ways.

Prayer keeps us focused on God’s vision.

Nehemiah focused his prayer on God. He recalled God’s promises and acknowledged that the situation in Jerusalem was a result of the people’s disobedience to God’s ways. He also reminded God of His promise to gather those who had been scattered. Without prayer my vision will often be focused on myself, the needs that I have to be recognized, my need to build an organization or my desire to achieve great things. Prayer turns our eyes towards God and helps us focus on what He wants to do to meet the needs around us.

Prayer opens our heart to God’s vision.

Scripture doesn’t record what happened in Nehemiah’s heart as he prayed. I don’t think Nehemiah began praying with a sense that God was calling him to act but he knew that something needed to be done. If he prayed like I do, he probably began by praying, “Lord send someone to Jerusalem to build that wall!” But as Nehemiah prayed God touched his heart and confirmed that he was to be personally involved in the project that would define his leadership. The vision that developed in Nehemiah’s heart was not a vision birthed in his own dreams of becoming a hero; it was birthed through prayer from the heart of God. It was his time in God’s presence that opened his heart to hear what God was calling him to do. Visions birthed in prayer may sound similar to those which are not, but the difference cannot be over emphasized. Vision birthed in prayer gives the servant leader confidence that the vision is not his/her own idea. It provides courage to call others to join in the task and gives endurance when the vision faces opposition. The source of vision shapes the outcome of vision.

Prayer prepares us to act on God’s vision.

By the end of his prayer Nehemiah was ready to act. “Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man” (Nehemiah 1:11). At this point, after several days of prayer and fasting, Nehemiah understood God’s vision for Jerusalem and he knew his own role in that vision. He was prepared to bring the vision of rebuilding the wall to the king. His time of prayer provided the courage he needed to take this bold, and potentially fatal, step.

Nehemiah’s life teaches us that prayer comes before action for a servant leader. Think with me for a moment about what might have happened if Nehemiah had not prayed. Perhaps he would have never received a burden that he was to be personally involved. He could have listened to the report and gone back to his work with little thought of helping others. Or, like many leaders, he could have heard the report and been convinced that something must be done, developed his own vision and plan for how it would be accomplished and rushed into action. In this scenario it is not likely that he would have persevered through the difficulties or had the humility to lead as a servant and glorify God when the goal was accomplished. Servant leaders pray first, then act.

For further reflection and discussion:

• Have I developed a daily pattern of prayer which prepares me to pray during emergencies?
• Reflect on the vision you are currently pursuing. Can you say with confidence that it came from the heart of God? Was it birthed in prayer? If so, what difference does this make in the way you lead? If not, what needs to change?
• Have you ever acted before praying? What was the result? How might things have been different if you had taken the time to pray first?