Most leaders say that their people are valuable.  But serving leaders actually love like Jesus. An intimate relationship with Jesus becomes the foundation of the way they treat their teams, make decisions and build culture. Jesus talked about this dynamic love relationship:

  ⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:9-13, NIV).  

Jesus calls His followers to live and lead with His love.

Intimate leaders experience the love of Jesus.

Jesus encourages His disciples, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love.” Jesus experienced the love of the Father, shared that love with His disciples and now urges them to deeply and permanently experience His love. He calls them to “remain” in this intimate relationship with Him. Jesus never intended for us to only know Him in our minds; He wanted us to experience His love in a way that transforms our relationship with Him. This experience with the love of Jesus should come before our attempt to love others.

Some leaders know they should love others and treat them correctly, so they work hard on people skills and the art of influence. But serving leaders cultivate an intimate experience of the love of Jesus before they try to love others. 

Intimate leaders respond to the love of Jesus. 

“If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love,…I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” Jesus understood that genuine love for another produces a desire to please them and to do what they want. So, He immediately links loving Him with obedience. He certainly wants His followers to obey what He calls them to do. But this is not a heavy, burdensome obligation, it is a response to love. He knows that we will be tempted to obey without experiencing His love, so he links obedience with joy—complete joy!

Some leaders seek to obey rules or a moral code but find it legalistic rather than life-giving. But serving leaders have experienced the love of Jesus and from that position respond with joy to His instructions. Their obedience flows from a loving relationship rather than an obligation.

Intimate leaders imitate the love of Jesus.  

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jesus tells His disciples that the greatest expression of their love will be to lay down their lives for others. This is the essence of serving leadership, giving one’s life in service to others. Jesus expects this result to flow from an intimate experience of His love.

Some leaders seek to serve others because they are convinced it will produce good results. They serve their team to achieve results. They serve with their head. This is commendable but very different from serving leaders who love others in response to the love they have received from Jesus. They reflect Jesus’ love in tangible ways in their workplace. They serve with their heart. 

For further reflection and discussion:

As I reflect on my own leadership regarding how much I love like Jesus, how would I rate myself on a scale of 1 to 10?      What blocks me from loving Him more?

At what level have I experienced the love of Jesus in my own heart and soul?  Does my service for Him flow out of a sense of duty or a response to His love?

Does my obedience result in deep joy in my heart or do I continually wonder if I am doing enough?

Do I approach my daily work with a sense of moral obligations or joyful obedience that flows out of a love relationship with Jesus? How does this impact my leadership? 

Does my service to others flow out of my head or my heart? Is my concern for my team based on universal leadership realities or my intimacy with Jesus?

After reflecting on these questions, read the entire chapter, John 15. What additional insights do I find in this chapter about how my intimacy with Jesus shapes my leadership?  

Until next time, yours on the journey,

Jon Byler

In the next issue, we’ll examine how intimate leaders are friends of Jesus.

We previously observed that serving leaders see themselves as stewards of money and they are thoughtful about how they obtain money. With this foundation, the heart of serving leaders is fully expressed when they generously share their financial resources with others.  Serving leaders live their entire lives with a focus on others and this is expressed by sharing with others. This heart of generosity is shaped by verses like the following:

“It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35, NIV).

“God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7).

“And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity (2 Corinthians 8:1-2).

Giving expresses a heart that is focused on serving others instead of self. Serving leaders open their hearts to those they serve in many ways. In finances this focus on others is expressed in generous sharing.

Serving leaders share money by design.      

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Jesus’ words remind us that it is a greater blessing to give than to receive. Some leaders casually give when an urgent need is presented to them but forget about giving at other times. By default, they focus more on getting money than on giving. But serving leaders are thoughtful and intentional about giving. They look for ways to give, places to give, people to bless. They stop and reflect on what they give and how they can increase their giving. They are intentional.

Because they are stewards serving leaders seek to give in ways that reflect the heart of the true owner of their resources, God! They pray often about how and where to give. They recognize that while giving always blesses the one who gives, it sometimes can have unintended negative consequences for the recipient.* So they look for ways to give a hand to those in need in ways that empower and bless. They carefully select organizations that are making a significant impact and support them. Serving leaders recognize that the most impactful giving happens by design.  

Serving leaders share money with delight.   

“God loves a cheerful giver.” Not every person who gives does so with joy. Some leaders feel compelled to give or guilty for not giving or they want to be seen by others as givers, but their heart is not in it. But serving leaders love to give and do so cheerfully!  Those who give are the most fun people to be around and serving leaders are delighted to share.

Serving leaders share money for demonstration.

Leaders who have experienced the blessing and joy of giving naturally want others to experience the same. So, serving leaders share money to demonstrate to others how to develop a generous heart. They do not give to show off, but they do give to influence others to also give. Like the Macedonian church, they become an example of generosity to others. A serving leader I visited recently told me that one of the goals of their company is to foster a spirit of generosity among their employees. That is the heart of serving leadership, wanting others to also experience the joy and blessing of giving.

For further reflection and discussion:

• Give yourself a “generosity inventory” by reflecting on these questions:
  • How often do I reflect on how I can give more, how I can give more wisely, how I can give more joyfully?  
  • Is my level of sacrificial generosity increasing or decreasing?  
  • Do I ever give grudgingly or reluctantly?
  • Does my family and those who are closest to me see me as a giver or a taker?           
• What can I do to give with more intentionality?
• How can I encourage those I lead to be more generous?
• Consider these additional verses related to giving: (Proverbs 3:9-10, 11:25, 22:9, 28:7, 22; Luke 6:38, and 2 Corinthians 8:1-7) What more do you learn about generosity from these verses?

Until next time, yours on the journey,

Jon Byler

*For great insights into how giving to the poor can sometimes harm recipients, I recommend the book “When Helping Hurts.”

 As we celebrate the birth of Jesus this Christmas, we will focus on a couple of servant leaders, Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist. John would be called by Jesus as the greatest man ever born (Matthew 11:11). In what way did John’s parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, influence him as servant leaders?

They served faithfully. Not many words are written about this couple, but enough to give us insight into their lives of faithful service. “Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly” (Luke 1:6).Both were blameless in their walk with God. They served without the visible blessing of children so we can assume that their service was not dependent on positive outcomes. Yet, they continued serving faithfully. Their lives influenced John to be able to serve faithfully as he called many to repentance by the Jordan River. He boldly proclaimed truth even when it cost him his life. Servant leaders aren’t perfect, but their hearts’ desire is to serve the Lord as Zechariah and Elizabeth did, faithfully living out the call of Christ in their everyday life.

They served humbly. This ordinary couple served with deep humility. Their humility is evident in Elizabeth’s response to Mary’s visit in Luke 1:39-56. For three months they hosted this visitor in their home, humbly serving her many meals and giving Mary their time and resources. They both knew that Mary’s child would be greater than their own, but they were able to humbly accept God’s role for their son. Their humility foreshadowed John’s humble declaration that Jesus should become greater and he should become less (John 3:30). Servant leaders serve with humility as this couple did, not drawing attention to themselves, but allowing others to rise.

They served patiently. When we first hear of this couple, they were “both very old” (Luke 1:7) and were childless. They had prayed for years without seeing the results. But they continued serving patiently in a situation in which many would have been tempted to give up. As they waited, they continued serving. They demonstrated to John how to serve patiently as he waited on God’s timing in the wilderness and in prison where he finally lost his life. Servant leaders learn from Zechariah and Elizabeth to keep serving in whatever role they have no matter the results. They serve faithfully and trust God for the results.

They served joyfully. Praise and rejoicing are very much a part of this couple’s story. Elizabeth gave thanks as soon as she was pregnant. When Zechariah’s tongue was set free, “he began to speak, praising God” (Luke 1:64). Elizabeth was not jealous of Mary’s miraculous pregnancy; instead, she rejoiced! Servant leaders learn from this couple that service is not a burden but a joy. They rejoiced as they served! And John was able to follow their example as he joyfully testified that the “bridegroom” had come (John 3:29).

Elizabeth and Zachariah served well individually. But together, their impact multiplied as they brought John into the world and raised him to be the forerunner of the Messiah. Their hearts for service left a legacy that we would do well to imitate.

This Christmas, the world needs more servant leader couples. Will you be one of them? Will you join together with your spouse, if married, and ask God to double your impact in the coming year as you serve faithfully, humbly, patiently, and joyfully?

Until next time, yours on the journey,

Jon Byler

For further reflection and discussion:

• Read the account of John’s ministry in Luke 3:1-20. In what ways do I see the influence of His parents in this story?
• Could my leadership be described as “blameless”? If not, in what ways is God inviting me to change?
• How has my leadership in the past week demonstrated humility? Am I able to rejoice in the success of others? If not, why not?
• In what areas am I tempted to give up when things don’t change quickly? What can I learn from Zachariah and Elizabeth?
• Can my leadership be described as “joyful”? If not, what can I do to imitate Zachariah and Elizabeth?      
• For couples. In what ways can our marriage multiply our influence? Are we aware of this and using it strategically to have a greater impact?
• If unmarried, what more can I learn from this couple to strengthen my own leadership impact and legacy?

Next year, we’ll begin a series on the sound of silence in our leadership! Shh…!

Until then, I wish you and your family a wonderful time of celebrating the joy of Jesus’ birth. He still inspires all of us over 2000 years later!

*We looked at the first couple in this series, Joseph and Mary, during the 2015 Christmas season. If you missed those, or want to see them again, click below.

Copyright, Global Disciples 2019.

Paul warns against delighting in what is evil. Servant leaders do not rejoice in the sin or wrong in another persons’ life. But they rejoice with the truth! Servant leaders rejoice when the truth can be spoken and joyfully anticipate a response to the truth which will bring greater freedom and joy to that person’s soul.

Rejoicing as we speak truth delights in the opportunity to speak into the life of another person for their good. It reflects a focus on the other rather than self. It is this focus on the other which reveals a true heart of love and allows the servant leader to speak the truth with rejoicing.

Speaking the truth with rejoicing requires balance.

Some leaders may find a mistake or wrong in someone’s life and find delight in exposing it, feeling justified that the ‘truth has been revealed.’ There may be secret pride in the leader feeling that in some way he/she is better than the other because a wrong has been revealed. The words spoken may be true, but they are not loving.

Other leaders may see the wrong and not be willing to speak the truth because they don’t want to appear to be “delighting in evil.” This leader only wants to focus on the positive in the other and rejoice in what is right. Paul tells us that a balance is needed. Truth should be spoken but with the right attitude. A servant leader carefully guards against delighting in evil but rejoices with the truth.

Speaking the truth with rejoicing reveals maturity.

Learning to rejoice at the right things reflects our level of maturity. Paul made it clear that as we learn how to speak the truth in love, “we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:15). This growth is a process and takes time to develop.

An immature leader may see the need to speak truth but do it out of a sense of duty or obligation, as one of the tasks of leadership. This is especially true when the truth which needs to be spoken may be painful or difficult for the other person to receive. This leader may focus on what it will ‘cost’ to take the time and energy to speak the truth. The focus is on oneself, not the other person.

As leaders mature, Christ changes their hearts to be more loving and to focus on the needs of the other instead of self. Even when truth needs to expose something wrong or sinful in another person’s life, the servant leader does not rejoice in what is wrong but finds delight in helping the other person to grow by speaking the truth with love.

Speaking the truth with rejoicing reflects Jesus.

Jesus never delighted in evil but rejoiced in speaking the truth. After Simon Peter acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 16:17).

Jesus was able to focus on the blessing for Simon Peter and rejoiced in what God had revealed to him. Jesus was not envious that Peter had received this revelation, He rejoiced! And although Peter’s revelation was all about Jesus’ identity, Jesus does not focus on Himself, but on Peter. He continued to talk about Peter’s destiny to become a significant leader in the church. Servant leaders learn from Jesus to rejoice as they speak the truth in love.

Until next time, yours on the journey,

Jon Byler

For further reflection and discussion:

• What is my natural tendency, to “delight in evil” or “rejoice in the truth”? What is the result in my leadership?   
• When have I spoken truth, but was inwardly proud that I was able to expose the wrong in the other person? What was the result in my own life and in the life of the person with whom I spoke?  
• Read Matthew 16:13-23 and reflect more on Jesus’ communication with Peter. What can I observe about how Jesus kept the focus on Peter instead of Himself? Am I able to do this when someone gives me a compliment? What can I learn about speaking the truth in love from Jesus’ rebuke of Peter in verse 23? Was this spoken in love?
• Can I think of another time when Jesus rejoiced as He spoke truth? What can I learn from His example?

Copyright, Global Disciples 2019

All servant leaders can learn to lead with joy from David’s instruction.

Joy should be recognized. David recognized his joy and invited others to join him with singing! The emotion of joy is easier to recognize since it is not usually considered a ‘negative’ or bad emotion. Most people do not struggle to know that they are feeling good!

But David helps servant leaders understand that joy is more than having a good day. He recognizes that joy does not come because of outward circumstances but from a conscious decision to focus on God’s goodness. He says, “In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.” This helps servant leaders recognize that joy can be experienced in any stage of the journey, even in the midst of other conflicting emotions.

Servant leaders learn to experience joy by focusing on God’s goodness in their lives and leadership.

Joy should be revealed. David’s instruction is for everyone to sing and “shout for joy.” Joy is to be expressed, not hidden! Some personalities have no trouble revealing their joy, it is part of their expressive nature. But other personalities are so restrained that even when they are joyful, no one else knows about it!

David invites all leaders to reveal their joy in singing! Songs of praise reveal joy and servant leaders express their joy with singing. But singing also produces joy. So when servant leaders need more joy they also sing!

Servant leaders learn to stop and celebrate, expressing joy and inviting others to join them. Like David, they lead by calling people to sing with joy.

Joy should be restrained. In the midst of David’s expressions of joy he acknowledged that he was waiting on the Lord and requested God to bless them with His “unfailing love.” His expression of joy did not mean denial of the needs which were also present. He did not allow his emotion to overlook reality. Some leaders focus so much on being positive that they do not admit realities.

David showed restraint. Servant leaders recognize the need for self-control in how they allow emotions to impact their leadership. They learn to be vulnerable and express emotions like joy. This allows them to be fully human as they lead, and emotion influences their leadership. But they don’t allow their emotion to control their leadership. They learn to balance feeling and thinking. Before making a decision, they seek to acknowledge their emotions, but they also separate facts from feelings.

Servant leaders are also able to restrain their own joy in order to connect with the emotion of those who are hurting. Servant leaders are aware of and sensitive to the needs of others around them, especially those who may be going through pain or struggle. This may call for some restraint in how they express their joy. But they also serve those who hurt by appropriately expressing their joy and inviting others to sing even in their pain. Gently, by their example of expression and restraint, they invite others to experience joy that is greater than the challenges of life.

Until next time, yours on the journey,

Jon Byler

For further reflection and discussion:

• Read David’s entire chapter, Psalm 33. What additional insights does this give me on the emotion of joy?
• If I am not experiencing joy, is it because I am focused on my circumstances instead of God’s goodness? How can I learn from this Psalm to change my focus?
• Do I easily express my joy or do I find it difficult to reveal this emotion?
• Am I aware of and sensitive to the needs of those I lead who are experiencing pain? Am I most likely to ignore their pain and keep rejoicing, or to silence my own joy?
• If I lead in an environment where singing is not an appropriate or accepted expression of joy, how can I invite the people to express joy?

John was a great leader and highly esteemed not only by his followers but by Jesus Himself. But his greatness was marked by increasing humility. He was able to humbly release his disciples, humbly point people to Jesus, and finally lay down his own life for the cause. His humility is clearly revealed in this account. They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan– the one you testified about– well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him." To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less (John 3:26-30). John’s humility is revolutionary and challenges all servant leaders to learn from his example.

Increasing humility removes competition.

John’s disciples came and reported to him that the momentum was shifting. For some time John had been the most visible leader and people flocked to hear him. But now, people were moving toward Jesus. Everyone is going to him. That message tests the heart of any leader! Leaders are action-oriented and have a strong natural desire to win. A spirit of competition and jealously are natural results and are found in the hearts of many leaders, even those who claim to follow Christ. The leader wants their business, church, or organization to be bigger and better than another. Jealousy and competition are clear indicators that humility is not present. But John demonstrates a completely different heart and responds that it is okay for Jesus to grow in popularity and for him to “become less.” He was not competing for numbers or popularity. He could genuinely rejoice at the success of another because of his humility. Servant leaders seek results, but resist a competitive spirit.

Increasing humility reveals Jesus.

He must become greater; I must become less. John recognized that in leadership there is only a fixed amount of greatness. He could be great or Jesus could be great, but not both at the same time! He seemed to have no difficulty becoming less since he saw the corresponding increase of Jesus became greater. John was passionate about revealing Jesus and teaches servant leaders that the only way to see more of Jesus is to see less of them. He recognized that this process of becoming less to reveal more of Jesus is a journey of becoming; it is not a destination at which we arrive. Leaders often promote themselves to attract followers. But John teaches us that servant leaders humbly make Jesus attractive to followers.

Increasing humility results in joy.

That joy is mine, and it is now complete. Humility and joy are not words that we expect to find together. It would appear that when we are humble and experience becoming less it will be painful and difficult. But John experienced complete joy in his humility. Yes, for humility to be evident our self must be broken and this is a painful process. But servant leaders find genuine joy when they stop competing and focus instead on revealing Jesus. They can celebrate the success of another without it threatening their own identity. Servant leaders discover increased joy with increased humility.

John redefines success for servant leaders. He teaches that the way up is down. He demonstrates that the way to joy is through humility. He shows that the way to victory is to release our desire to win. He calls each of us to increasing humility.

For further reflection and discussion:

• Do I see other leaders, churches or businesses as competitors? What does John’s example call me to change in the way I view others?
• What happens in my heart when I hear of the success of another leader? Am I able to rejoice or do I find a competitive spirit in my heart?
• Where does my own pride keep me from experiencing ‘complete’ joy in my leadership? What needs to be broken in me to release the joy John the Baptist experienced?
• Read 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. Paul said that God’s power was made “perfect in weakness.” In what way does Paul teach the same concepts I have seen in John the Baptist’s leadership? In what ways is Paul’s testimony like mine or how is it different?

Paul was chained up in prison, struggling, not sure whether it would be better to live or die, and opposed by people determined to undermine his leadership. In this situation he wrote four chapters of inspiration summarized by one of his opening statements, “And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice.” (Philippians 1:18) Paul was leading with joy. He was not simply practicing the power of positive thinking and refusing to acknowledge his situation. Rather, as he saw his life, past, present and future, from God’s perspective he was able to lead with joy.

Paul had considered his past.

Paul had an impressive list of credentials in terms of training and experience. But he also carried the memory of his persecution of the church. Yet he didn’t allow his past to cause him pride or condemnation. Instead he said, “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” (Philippians 3:13) Paul surrendered his past to Christ and moved on. Servant leaders look at their past from God’s perspective, giving God credit for successes and receiving God’s forgiveness for failures. Their joy comes not from what happened in the past, but in God’s grace to redeem their past and use it for a greater good.

To think about: Am I free from my past?

Paul was content in the present.

Paul’s situation would throw most of us into deep despair! Instead, he almost casually mentions his chains and the challenges he was facing. He reveals why he has joy in prison with these words, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Philippians 4:12) Paul’s perspective allowed him to recognize that his imprisonment advanced the Gospel and that those who were seeking to destroy his ministry also advanced the cause of Christ. Servant leaders claim the reality that their lives are in God’s hands. Therefore, nothing that happens is out of control or by chance and God works through good and bad times. Many leaders measure their success by visible results but servant leaders learn to be content and rejoice no matter what the circumstances.

To think about: Am I truly content today?

Paul was confident of the future.

Paul’s joy also came from his hope for the future expressed in these words, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6) Paul knew that God would finish His work and was so confident of his future that he viewed death as gain! Servant leaders have hope that inspires them to live in the present with joy. This vision of the future is not just positive thinking; it is seeing life from God’s perspective which balances realism with a solid hope.

To think about: Am I keeping my eyes on future realities?

Servant leaders follow Paul’s example to lead with joy as they see life from God’s perspective. This joy is passed on to followers and inspires them to a similar perspective. A joyful leader is a joy to follow.

For further reflection and discussion:

• Take 15 minutes to read the four chapters of Philippians. Circle or underline the words “joy” or “rejoicing” as you read. Pay attention to statements that reveal Paul’s situation as a leader. How does your current situation compare with his?
• When you think of your past, are you more likely to be proud or feel condemned? Reflect on Paul’s words in Philippians 3:4-16. Write a paragraph with your own summary of your past.
• What present circumstances are you in which seem unpleasant? Meditate on Paul’s statement in Philippians 4:11-12. How did Paul learn to be content? In what ways is God teaching you this lesson?
• Meditate on Paul’s view of the future in these verses. (Philippians 1:6, 21-23; 3:20-21). How does your view of the future bring you joy?
• How much do those who follow you see joy in your life? What steps can you take to demonstrate this more clearly to them?