I’m reading, actually, I’m re-reading a book titled “Lead Like Jesus”. You would know the authors (Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges) if you were into leadership and management style books. Sometimes I am, but more often, I’m tired of reading the latest approach to dealing with people.
Just Saying.
While I was devouring the book yesterday, I looked at the chapters index (as I normally do at the beginning of a read) and noted something I had not paid attention to back in 2007 when I first picked up this book.
First of all, Jesus is a Servant Leader and not a barker of orders or dictator at the helm of a business ship. In order to comprehend this, you must look at the chapter headings to see the paths that lead us to become a leader like Jesus.
- The Heart of a Servant Leader
- The Head of a Servant Leader
- The Hands of a Servant Leader
- The Habits of a Servant Leader
To lead like Jesus, you must understand your heart, head, hands, and habits. But it all begins with the heart.
Who can have the heart of Jesus?
It’s an obviously tough pathway if you do not have the Holy Spirit leading you. In all of the Old Testament, only one man is described after the fact as having the heartbeat of God.
And when he had removed him [Saul],
he raised up David to be their king,
of whom he testified and said,
‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart,
who will do all my will.’
(Acts 13:22 ESV)
Since these words are in the New Testament, I find that you must piece together God’s words in the Old Testament to come up with this summation. (Psalms 89:20, 78:70-72, 1 Samuel 13:14)
Throughout scripture, we find many who do the will of God, but, perhaps as with Jonah, their heart is not in it until they are seemingly forced into obedience.
We sing the song, “To be like Jesus…To be like Jesus…On earth, I long, to be like him. All through life’s journey, from earth to glory, I only ask to be like him.”
But then our lives don’t live up to the sentiment.
Early Morning Musing
I woke early this morning, tossing and already feeling exhausted from a semi-restless night. Though I’m not sure why I suspect this feeling of being a cave dweller is starting to get a hold of my mind! Oh, for a return to the life that gets me out of my introverted shell and into the company of family and friends. Even strangers!
Though I’m awake and writing, my mind is still mulling over the morning thought.
When Jesus died on the cross, his tunic was the only thing to his name.
Question: And they gambled for who may have it. Where were his hand tools? He was a carpenter. Did he have a library of scrolls? He was trained in the ways of the law. What were the mementos of his younger years? After all, I still have this little red rubber knife from when we lived in Seabrook. I bought several of them when I was 6-10 years old.
Perhaps part of our resistance to being like Jesus revolves around all the “stuff” we have that weighs us down. We have to polish, dust, store, and protect it. Precious dollars are spent to add to our collection, which keeps us close to our belongings lest something happens to them while we are gone.
The writer of Hebrews says we are to lay aside every weight…and the sin…all of which weighs us down and slows our path. Then run. Get rid of all the junk that will slow you down. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
Maybe this is the key to how to be more like Jesus.
Change to become a Survivor
If this virus keeps spreading and we don’t get a handle on it, then many of us will find the time that “stuff matters little.” Walking through the stores, I realize we are overwhelmed with “stuff” that matters little regarding survival.
If things get worse, we can expect a breakdown in the services we take for granted. From utilities to communication systems to garbage pickup (Today…I already put it out!).
As we analyze the world around us, ask these questions of yourself. What matters? Who matters? What stays? What gets tossed? Priorities are important! Share on XNarrowing our focus to surviving meaningfully is important. Who matters? What matters? Is there anything that gets to stay part of our lives? What must get the heave-ho?
Well. Enough of my musings. I plan on living this day, leading like Jesus, from my heart to my head, onto my hands to do. All along the way, I exercise my habits to be better formed to be like him.